How Did I Fall In Love With You?
by Pilargirl
Summary: Miley's 15 and a young rebellious teenager. Nick is 24 and he's like another brother to Miley's broken family. What happens when hearign her voice changes everything both of them had ever known. AU. Trailer Inside. Better than it might sound
1. TRAILER

_A/N: Okay. This is my new Niley story and you are gonna have to keep focused to catch the gist of this one. It's a huge AU...the biggest differences being that Joe is NOT Nick's brother...he's MILEY'S...yes, I know...you're probably thinking, what the hell? The thing is that this is based on a program and the main male character (Nick) has to be best friends with the female's (Miley) big brother and I really couldn't see Nick being best friends with anyone else so...I just used Joe – besides I wouldn't be able to give him a big part if he was Nick's bother and I just adore writing new characters as Joe. And the other big difference is that Lilly is 22, so she's a lot older than Miley.  
_

**Name:** How Could I fall in love with you?

**Pairings:** Nick/Miley...Miley/Jake...Nick/Selena...Joe/Taylor...Joe/Lilly

**Rated: **T for some adult themes

**Little Info**: Miley, a fifteen-year-old teenage rebel, lost her parents when she was twelve, leaving her eldest brother who was only 20 then, in charge of her and her other 3 siblings. She dates guys that are older and goes out without permission, aka, she loves stirring up things which always end up in fights with Joe, her eldest brother.

Nick is the family lawyer as well as Joe's best friend since he can remember. He's 24 and he's like another brother in the Stewart family and one of the few people Miley can really talk to.

Now the trailer...

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**Miley Stewart was a fifteen-year-old you didn't want to mess with**

_We see Miley kissing a bad-ass. Then we see her fighting with Joe in his office._

**Nick Grey was another brother to her broken family.**

_We see Nick laughing with Joe, talking to the younger brothers and hugging Miley in a friendly way._

_**Her Voice...**_

_We see and Hear Miley Singing as she plays the piano_

**Made Him Realize...**

_We see Nick coming out of Joe's office and his face expression changes as he hears her_

**There Was So Much More...**

**Staring...**

**Nick Jonas**

"_This Isn't Right, I'm too old for you...I'm your brother's best friend..."_

**Miley Cyrus**

"_You were the one who taught me that love doesn't know ages..."_

**Joe Jonas**

"_How could you?"_

**And Emily Osment  
**

_Clip of Emily rolling her eyes..._

**In a Story with DRAMA...**

_Miley: You can't just kiss me and expect me to act like it never happened!_

_Nick: The point is... I shouldn't have kissed you at all..._

**Laughs...**

_Nick and Joe are fighting with Fencing swords and Emily, Miley and the younger brothers are all spying through a hole. _

_Emily: "Seriously, if I filmed all of this and put in up on YouTube...we'd so get nominated for the Emmy's._

**And tears...**

_Nick: Don't Leave_

_Miley: I Have to..._

_**Coming Soon To Your Nearest Screen...**_

_**The Program That Will Dominate This Summer...**_

_**How Did I Fall In Love With You!...**_

_Want it?_

_Don't want it?_

_Tell me you're thoughts and help me decided if I should continue it or not._


	2. CHARACTERS

_A/N: Hey Guys…thanks for all the feedback. Before I start the chapter I think it would be good if I analyzed each character for you. BTW: I did the 'theme song' for this series and posted it on YouTube and it'd be great if you could check it out because I put a lot of effort into that. Seriously...it took me like 6 or 7 hours. You can find it by going on my profile or typing 'How did I fall in love with you theme song' into YouTube...please DO see it...it'll help you picture the characters better. BTW: I actually LOVE Taylor swift but I like 'Loe' more than I love her so she just had to be the baddy...I have nothing big against Selena or Jake either. I changed the ages a little BTW. Sorry this isn't chapter 1 but you really need this so you don't get lost. I'll update ASAP._

**Miley Stewart: (played by Miley Cyrus)**Miley's 15, nearly 16, and her and her older brother, Joe, don't exactly get along. Her parents dies four years before and her, her sister and her twin brothers where left in charge of Joe. She's dating a 'bad-boy' names Jake who her brother doesn't approve of at all and, even though she's a prodigious piano player and singer, she hadn't touched a key since her mum died. She and Nick are pretty close and she has pretty violent fights with Joe, she's a little rebellious.

**Nick Grey: (pb -Nick Jonas) **Nick is 24 and Joe's best friend since the age of 1. He's dating Selena, a girl who dances with Miley in 'Lil' and her band', Lilly's secret band (or at least secret from Joe). He's nice and sweet and very kind...him and Miley have always been like cousins, very supportive towards each other and he always tends to go on Miley's side when she argues with Joe.

**Joe Stewart: (pb - Joe Jonas)- **He's Miley's big brother, 24-years-old. After his parents died, he was left in charge of his 2 twin brothers and his two sisters. To make matters worse, he as good as has an arranged married with Taylor...who he thought he loved before Lilly, his siblings' 'nanny', came to work at the Stewart house. He has very strong feeling for Lilly and in a way he knows everything would be better if he dumped Taylor, for everyone else hates her, but he's scared he'll leave it all and he'll never be the one. Another big thing about Joe that you'll think I've gone mad for: He's very serious and strict, no sense of humour really...I know, unbelievable, but this is a challenge to make Joe into something we've never seen, and towards the end he'll start being more like himself.

**Lilly Truscott: (pb - Emily Osment) **She's wild and extremely outgoing, 22-years-old. She believes in magic and true love even if she's an orphan and Taylor treats her like shit she remains happy most of the time. She's completely in love with Joe and knows that he's her prince charming for she is one of the few people who can see under his hard core. She's looked after the twins, Miley and Noah for over 6 months and the four of the adore her. Nick likes her a lot more that Taylor. She's also got a band called 'Lil' and her band', that she keeps hidden from Joe because the twins and Miley are in it and she knows Joe would never let them spend their time on a band if he found out. Even though she doesn't really show it, her favourite Stewart kid is 'Noah'.

**Taylor Drew: (pb - Taylor Swift) **Joe's parents basically arranged her relationship with their son, she's 23. She's, will all due respect, a bitch. She hates Lilly 'cause she can see that Joe has feeling for her and she feels threatened by it. To make it worst, she cheats on Joe with her chauffer, Max. She doesn't give a shit about any of the kids and basically only stays with Joe because of his money.

**Zach and Cody Stewart: (pb -the Sprouse twins) **They are 14-year-old twins who love pulling pranks and getting into trouble. They are, however, extremely protective over both they're sisters and tend to try and help Miley get out of the messes she puts herself through. They hate Taylor, obviously and completely adore Lilly.

**Noah Stewart: (pb - Noah Cyrus)**She's 6 and the family's baby, as well as Joe's little princess and Lilly's favourite Stewart kid. She loves spending times with the twins and listening to Lilly's fairy and magic stories.

**Selena Russo: (pb - Selena Gomez) **She dances in Lilly's band and dates Nick. She's 18 and deeply in love; however, Nick doesn't really love her – he only feels attracted by her.

-Other characters-

**Jake Ryan: (pb - Cody Linley) **He's the guy Miley dates. Joe doesn't approve of him because he's 21 and Joe thinks he's too old for her. He's a nice guy and the male lead singer in 'Lil' and her band'. At the beginning, Miley thinks she's extremely in love with him. They both have an on-off relationship.

**Jason Earn (Drum): (pb - Jason Earles)**Mostly none as 'Drum' is the drummer for "Lil' and her band". He's 19.

**Pablo Cicaronni: (pb - Santiago Cabrera) **A guy who works in Joe's office and seems to like Lilly, much to Joe's dismay. He's the son of a very rich man.

**Greta Malot:(pb - H**enny Trayles**)**Housekeeper. Like a grandmother/Aunt to the Stewarts. Short and Scout. Has served in the house since Joe was born. Loves Lilly, dislikes Taylor.

**Charlotte Mayer: (pb - Amanda Bynes)**Dancer in 'Lil' and her band' she's 16 and Selena's best friend.

**Demi Monroe: (pb - Demi Lovato) **Miley's friend in school. They've known each other since kindergarden and she's 16.

_I'll add any more if they appear later in the story. Please do check out the youtube vid and tell me if you think i should still continue with this story. I WILL update ASAP if you want me too._


	3. C1 : The Stewarts

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_A/N: Hey guys, he is episode N.1…it's taken so long because I've had to do a lot of research on the program this is based on, and I've had to watch lots and lots of episodes various times...beware that Niley won't really appear until ends of episode two or beginnings of episode 3. This episode is like an introduction of how life is at the Stewart house. BTW: Lilly calls Joe, Mr. Freezer, because of his cold and strict nature...she barely calls him Joe. I'll upload if I get more that 6 reviews. Hope you enjoy. Remember...this is a NILEY...no matter what it might seem like at the beginning...however, it is ALSO a Loe. _

**CHAPTER 1**

**THE STEWARTS  
**

In the Stewart Mansion, the tension was clearly visible. Around the table, all the Stewart brothers, Nick Grey (Joe, the eldest brother's best friend), Taylor Drew (Joe's fiancé) and Greta (the housekeeper since a time when Joe, Miley, Zach, Cody and Noah's parent where alive) were waiting silently for Lilly (the "nanny") to appear. Joe cursed himself for having invited her to eat with the family...he had hoped that with this lunch, he could start to show Lilly he had true feelings for her...of course, he hadn't counted with Taylor showing up from her expensive trip a day early and he sure hadn't expected Lilly's "Boyfriend" to appear an hour before dinner and take her somewhere...making him feel more jealous than he had ever felt before.

"Hello!" exclaimed Lilly with a big smile on her face, obviously not sensing the tight atmosphere that she had caused without knowing it.

"7 minutes late!" shouted Joe. The smile on Lilly's face dissapeard instantly as she noticed the tone that her boss was using. She had only been in the Stewart Mansion for 6 months but it had only taken her about a minute to fall in love with Joe...she never really understood why...he wasn't anything like her, she was active, extroverted, outgoing and slightly crazy...Joe Stewart was the complete opposite, he was strict and serious and cold...which is where, 'Mr. Freezer', the name Lilly always used for him, suited so well. However, she had learnt to know him as she had learnt to love all of his brothers and sisters and just as she had learnt to hate his fiancé, Taylor...who, it was obvious to her, was only with Joe because of the Stewart fortune.

Lilly looked around and spotted Zach, one of the Stewart 14-year-old twins, and Miley, the 15-year-old Stewart teenage rebel, looking at her as they both bit their lips. She gulped slightly and looked at Joe with an apologetic face.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, rolling her eyes slightly as she sat down beside Joe and Greta. They remained silent for about a minute before Joe's irritated voice sounded again.

He dropped his knife and fork on his plate, frustrated, and pointed at the three vases filled with orchids that someone had positioned on top of the table. "_Who_ put this on the table?" he asked angrily.

Lilly breathed in, not understanding what was wrong with him. "I did," she owned up quietly.

Joe turned to look at her with an angry look on his face. "I don't even know why I ask..." he snapped. He wasn't this cruel...he was a kind and a good man but she just managed to push his buttons and just to hear that she had a boyfriend like that 'Jackson' guy was literally one of the most repulsive things he heard. He knew that he shouldn't treat her like this but the anger took hold of him. "Well, this is obviously not their place," he continued, then he turned to Greta. "I thought I left it to you to teach all employers the rules of the house."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Joseph, I thought they looked rather nice...I'll make sure that I take them off right now," stated the short and scout woman in her fifties. She got ready to stand up but Joe stopped her.

"No, Greta...it was Lillian who made the mistake...so let Lillian correct it," he said rather fiercely, causing Nick, his brothers and his sisters, who all adored Lilly, to look at him like he was some sort of monster. Lilly, looking hurt because she had made the effort to cut the flowers and put them nicely on the table, stood up, took the vases in her thin hands and left for the kitchen.

"What is your pro..." started Miley, who was known to have a very bad relationship with her older brother. Joe shot her a fierce look, indicating that he wasn't gonna take any protest; however, it wasn't that look that stopper her from continuing, it was the entrance of Lilly in the room. Miley might have only been fifteen, like some adults would say, but she knew when it was time to stop talking.

Lilly sat down quietly and the family continued eating in silence. Nick Grey looked at the people he called family as he shook his head slightly. These dinners reminded him of the ones the family had four years back, in the months after the death of Maria and David Stewart, the siblings' parents. Back then Joe was always angry, having a go at anyone just because he had had to stop studying in Germany so that he could come back to that small town and look after his kid brothers...those were the worst days for everyone in that family...they were all so young...

Nick's thoughts were interrupted by a fork falling on the ground...and immediately he knew this was gonna cause trouble. Everyone in the table turned to look at the youngest member of the family. Noah was looking down at the ground where the fork had fallen.

"Noah can you be more careful..." said Joe, a little more angrily than he had initially intended.

Noah looked a little scared. "I did it by accident..." she murmured in a small voice.

"Well, you obviously didn't do it on purpose...you're old enough to be more careful!" Joe told her with a strict tone. Noah looked down, gulped and picked up her fork. She loved her brother and normally he treated her like a princess but his strict and cold nature was bigger than his love for acting sweetly to her and that hurt her a lot.

"I don't think it's that bad...I mean it's just a fork and...Noah's just six, she's nearly a baby..." Lilly defended the little girl, regretting it a second later.

At hearing this, Joe blinked at Lilly. "Sorry, I can't remember asking for your opinion..."

A few of the people at the table gasped at this; yes, Joe was made of a pretty hard core but to say something like that to Lilly was unbelievable. In the corner of the table, Taylor smirked at the nanny who she knew was dangerous...she needed to marry Joe and Lilly, who started as a brick, had created a big wall in between her and her ambition.

"Joe..."Nick warned his friend, looking at him wide-eyed. He knew he was jealous but to act this way was crossing the line, Lilly didn't deserve that. "What's wrong with you?"

"Yes, Mr. Freezer, that's what I'd like to know, what's wrong with you?" Lilly repeated. Joe looked at her for a second and then hit the table hardly with his hand as he signed in frustration.

"What's wrong with _me_?" he asked rhetorically in a sharp and loud voice that making Lilly shake . "For a start, _you_ calling me 'Mr. Freezer'...like...like no one's ever taught you any manners."

"Look, _Mr. Freezer, _if I call..."

"Did I tell you you could speak?" He shouted at her. "No, I didn't think so. Secondly," he stated, continuing his speech. "I'm fed up of you corrupting my brothers instead of helping me control them! You continue teaching them how to act like farm animals more like humans, trying to make them be as uncivilised like you..."

Joe didn't realized what he had said until it was out of his mouth; he wasn't the kind of person to talk without thinking but since Lilly arrived at his house 6 months ago, he didn't know what kind of person he was anymore. Lilly looked at her with unbelieving eyes and then she bit her lip, trying hard not to cry.

"Yes, you're right...I don't even know why I'm sitting at this table...I'm obviously not _civilised _enough!" She shouted, throwing her napkin on the table and running up to her bedroom in a rush.

Joe turned around and found most of the people at the table looking at him with disgust and utter disappointment.

Miley stood up abruptly and looked at her brother with disrespect written all over her expression. "Seriously, Joe...if you continue like this you're just gonna lose everything..."

Miley left as she glared at Joe, which only caused him to get even more angry. He then looked around and saw everyone was still staring at him.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" he snapped at them. They all turned around quickly, trying to avoid any future confrontation.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Miley opened her door and entered her bedroom angrily.

"God! He's just so unbearable!" she shouted to herself.

"Hope you're not talking about me..." said a cheesy voice from behind. Miley turned around with a start and smiled widely as she saw her boyfriend, Jake Ryan, standing behind her door.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as she walked towards him. Jake was a nice guy, a little old for her...or very old, depends on how you saw him being 22...but he was nice, he was generous and amiable and a little cocky. He loved her, and she had deep feeling for him but, then again, Miley had deep feelings for anyone.

"What do you mean, what am I doing here?" Jake asked dramatically moving his hands theatrically. "I risked my life...climbing up to your window...just to give _you_ a goodnight kiss...."

She giggled and kissed him softly on the lips various times, enjoying feeling happy for the first time in the night. "You're completely mad," she said against his lips, grinning.

"Yeah, mad for you," he answered in a cocky tone. Miley giggled slightly and kissed him again, enjoying every second of it until she started rationalizing again. She pulled away from him and shook her head.

"No, no, if Joe sees you here, he kills you first and then kills me...you know how bad he is when he's in a bad mood..." she told him. He signed and then gave her a sweet half-smile.

"Okay, then, one proper goodnight kiss and I leave," he said.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Nick and Joe walked up the stairs and turned to the left, where the Stewart siblings slept.

"I don't get why you behaved that way at dinner, Joe," Nick confessed. "It was completely out of order...treating Lilly that way...I just don't understand..."he told his best friend.

"You don't understand?" Joe asked the other 24-year-old incredulously. "What is there _not _to understand? This house is a disaster and I need to start organising it before we become a circus...and you know who I'm gonna start by?" asked Joe rhetorically. "That little teenager who thinks she can do what she likes..." he stated, opening Miley's door.

Jake and Miley didn't even here the door open as they kissed passionately. Joe looked at the couple as he clenched his jaw.

"What are you doing?" He shouted at his sister and her 'friend', causing them to break apart quickly. Nick immediately held his friend back, stopping him from acting on his instincts and hurting the poor boy. Though, he had to admit he didn't really like the site himself, it just didn't seem natural to think of Miley like a girl who was already old enough to kiss boys...'she _is _nearly sixteen', he had to remind himself.

"Calm down, Joe," Nick tried to tranquilize the man. Joe did look at him for a second and made a sound similar to a growl.

"Calm down?" Joe asked. "How can I calm down when I've just found my sister in her _room _with this...this guy?" Joe spoke; making it clear that he had no interest in knowing Jake's name.

Jake put his hand on Miley's shoulder and looked at Joe. "Wait, stop, this is my fault...I came in through the window," he explained, looking towards the semi opened window. Joe looked like he was shaking with anger now.

"Take your hands of her," he ordered as he saw Jakes hand positioned on top of his sister's shoulder. Jake took a step back and dropped his arm quickly, not wanting this mess to get even worst.

"No," rectified Miley. "It's both our faults," she continued giving Jake a small and supportive look. Then she looked at her brother with an annoyed expression. "And, Joe, the 'guy' has a name, and he's my boyfriend..."

At hearing this, Joe let out a small chuckle and turned to face Nick, he simply shrugged his shoulder as he shook his head. "You hear her?" Joe asked, rhetorically once again. "She's fourteen and has a boyfri..."

"No, Joe!" Interrupted Miley. "I'm a month away from turning sixteen."

Nick now started nodding in agreement; he had learnt long ago that moving your head was the only good thing to do if Joe Stewart was angry.

"That has nothing to do with it, Miley..." Joe told her sincerely, then turned to Nick again, who stopped nodding and started shaking his head once again; Miley couldn't help but smile at the funny movements that her brother's best friend was making.

"Now I get why she does so bad in school," Joe told her, acting like Miley and Jake weren't even in the room anymore. "It's because this...this thing," Joe said, pointing at Jack. "Distracts her and she can't study..."

"Mr. Stewart I..." tried Jake to defend himself, only causing Joe to glare at him.

"You...you," Joe spoke directly to Jake before turning to look at Miley again. "What did you say his name was?"

"Jake," Miley answered hesitantly and slightly scared, wiping the small smile she had on her face off.

"Well, then, _Jake_..." he spoke, this time talking to the blonde. "I have to nothing to speak with you about. My sister's young, she's not doing well in school and a boyfriend is the last thing I need to hear about...so get going!"

Jake spared a glance at Miley and started walking.

"Get out!" shouted Joe loudly, making the young man basically run out. "And I don't want to see you near this house or my sister!" he bellowed, causing Nick to hold him back and, once again, stop him from shaking and running up to the man. Joe then got rid of his best friend's grip and walked towards Miley, who was cuddling a pillow, looking quite scared.

"And you...you...if you step out of line again you're going straight to a boarding school, do you understand me?" he asked her. She simply stood there, looking at him like he was the devil. "ANSWER ME WHEN I ASK YOU A QUESTION!" He ordered her in a voice that made her shake. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME, YES OR NO?"

Miley looked at him for a second and, looking like she was on the verge of tears, and whispered a timid 'yes' as she hugged her pillow tightly...no matter how mature she acted most of the time, she always felt like a 10-year-old when Joe screamed at her like that.

"Good for you," the older Stewart said before turning around, hitting the door with his fist hardly and leaving the bedroom. Both Nick and Miley looked at him leave, both slightly scared of the man's reaction to the incident. Nick turned around and saw Miley looking at him with some tears in her eyes and her purple cushion still pressed tightly to her chest. He walked forward and put his arms around her, letting her cry slightly on his shirt.

"He's a monster, Nick," she whimpered, feeling like a little girl again and, even though she hated it, she couldn't help it at these times. Nick wrapped her tightly in his arms and ran his fingers through her hair in a friendly manner.

"Calm down," he consoled her. "I'll talk to him...try and get him to lower the tone...don't worry..."

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Miley walked down the main street of the town, which was more often called 'the kissing pathway', for there was a myth that told that, years and years before, a famous king and queen from different enemy countries went against their families and kissed for the first time in the middle of that same street. Miley smiled as she saw Jake talking on the phone with a wide grin on his face.

"Hey," she mouthed to him. As soon as he saw her, the grin on his face dissapeard.

"I'll call you later, okay?" he spoke into the phone before hanging up and turning to look at his girlfriend.

Miley raised an eyebrow at him. "Who were you talking to?" she asked curiously.

"I don't see how that could be any of your business," he replied indifferently. He saw Miley gulp and then look at him with hurt visible in her eyes, which were opened widely, looking at him. He didn't want to be like this but he had heard Joe yesterday, and he knew better than to get the richest man in the whole town angry...he knew Joe Stewart could do anything he wanted and that could turn out pretty bad for him, beside, he was too old for Miley and, in a way, it was true that a boyfriend wasn't what she needed right now.

Miley looked at Jake for a second and the laughed. "Nice one, Jake, what are you trying to do, huh? Imitate my brother? I'm sorry, you look to friendly to do it..." she told him with a smile as she leaned in to kiss him. Jake, having to go against his instincts, turned away from her.

"I'm not trying to be funny, Miley. I've been thinking and I've realized your brother's right...we really shouldn't be together right now," he lied. Miley's jaw dropped slightly at this.

"Is there someone else?" she asked, not really believing this was about rights and wrongs and even less about her stupid and cold brother.

"Ye...Yes," Jake answer hesitantly. He loved Miley but he didn't want to hurt anyone with a relationship that they could start again in the future, when Miley was a little older and Joe wasn't so protective over her. Miley felt tears forming in her eyes but she stopped them from falling, she wouldn't give Jake the satisfaction of making her cry.

"Okay, then," she simply said before turning around and walking back home, crying silently as she thought about how stupid and naive she was.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Since the age of eight, Nick and Joe's favourite sport had been fencing. Since then, nearly every day, they'd fight for a while and leave all the stress out.

Joe could barely put himself together today, the most he could do was try to stop Nick from hitting him instead of, like most of the time, trying to hit Nick. It didn't come as a surprise when, with a swift movement, Joe felt Nick's sword hit his sword hard enough to make it fall out of his hand.

"What's wrong with you, German?" Nick asked his best friend, using the nickname he had gained after having left to study in Germany at the age of sixteen. Joe looked up at Nick and stood up from the ground, where he had been left after Nick beat him. "You've always been better than me at this and lately I just thrash you."

"Don't exaggerate," Joe told him, catching his breath. "My mind's just somewhere else..."

"Does that somewhere else have blonde hair, blue eyes and is extremely angry at you for how you treated her last night, by any chance?" Nick asked with a sly grin on his face.

"Partly...but it's not only Lilly, it's Zach...who doesn't stop getting into trouble in school, and Cody...who doesn't stop getting into trouble because of Zach...and it's Noah, who's growing up in this crazy atmosphere...and it's Taylor, who all the kids hate and each time I try to tell her that it's over she somehow stops me...and, of course, its Miley and _all _the problems that girl has."

"You're too hard on her, German...Miley's sixteen, it's a tough age and even tougher if you treat her like a ten year old...at her age you were already living alone at Germany." Nick insisted.

"God! She's turned you against me too," he spoke dramatically...Nick loved it when his best friend joked, even if it was only slightly, it reminded him of what Joe Stewart used to be like befpre tragedy stoke his big family.

"Come on," Nick laughed, passing a sword to Joe and getting into his fencing position again.

* * *

Well that's it. What did you think? Please review and tell me cause it helps me improve and it inspires me to write so that I can update sooner. Please...do review. Niley will come...I promise...but first I need to create the atmosphere I'm setting the story in. If any of you has actually watched 'Floricienta' (the show this is based on) and you're a bit confused as to who is who, then feel free to ask me. If any of you understand spanish, I would really recommend this show to you becuase it is purely genius...if recommend you type 'Matias y Maia' into YouTube and you check out "Nasliz"'s series of videos on them, they ARE really good. Oh! and remember the 'theme song' to this fic is up on youtube and the lnk is in my profile...please watch it and comment if you can. BTW: PLEASE REVIEW!!

pilargirl


	4. C2 : HeartBreak

_A/N: Hey Guys. Thanks to everyone who reviewed – the reviews really help me right 'because I know there are people wanting to read. Sorry for the lack of 'Niley' in this but I'm afraid we won't get to see them until the beginning of Chapter 4. BTW: Joe sometimes calls Nick, 'Nico', it's like a diminutive. Here it is:_

**CHAPTER THREE**

**HEART-BREAK  
**

Miley had been locked up in the bathroom for the last 2 hours, ignoring every single knock she got. She was wiping her tears feeling completely lost as to what to do next with ehr life. She felt like she was hurting so badly that it was unbelievable; Jake had left her for someone else and she just felt useless.

"Miley, please, let me speak to you..." Lilly begged once and again from the other side of the door. Lilly was like an older sister to Miley, like one of those friends that are always wiser and can nearly always make you smile.

"Go away, Lilly," Miley insisted, not trying to hurt the young woman's feelings but not really wanting to talk to anyone at all.

"Miley, I know how you're feeling...do you want me to describe it?" the blonde asked as she sat on the floor with her back to the door. Miley didn't say anything but Lilly continued talking anyway. "You've got a rock stammered onto your chest and you feel like there's something in your throat that makes you not want to eat or breathe..."

This caught Miley's attention and she sat down on the cold marble floor, listening as Lilly continued talking. However, she wasn't the only one listening to the blue eyed girl; hidden behind the wall stood Joe, listening to the words that Lilly recited, torn because, in one way, he wished he was the one that had caused those feelings to evoke in Lilly but in another way he didn't want it to be him for Lilly was talking of being hurt and hurting Lilly was something he would always regret. "You don't want to get out of bed," continued Lilly. "And you really don't want to talk to anyone...you don't want to live; it's horrible."

Joe felt his cell vibrate in his pocket and hesitantly, after sparing one last look at the woman he loved, left. Miley then, after hearing Lilly's wise words, opened the door for her. Lilly stood up and pulled Miley into a hug.

"And how do you know so much?" Miley asked her curiously with some tears in her eyes.

"Because...I just do..." Lilly half-explained, she then cleaned the girl's tears. "Don't cry...look at the positive side..."

Miley looked at the woman incredulously. "What positive side? Lilly, Jake's with another girl, there's no positive side," she cried.

"Yes there is," Lilly insisted. "The positive side is that you had fun and you felt love...and you were happy next to him and you actually risked it....there's so many people that don't risk it, Miley. So many people that just stay home alone all their lives so that they don't suffer but the truth is that they suffer more and, the worst thing is, that they suffer alone."

"But, being like this, I really don't know what I prefer..." Miley confessed with tears still flowing down her cheek.

Lilly looked a little lost as to what to say for a moment. "Look...Miley..._Now _you say that but this...all this pain...it's gonna go away sooner than you think and you have to always remember the good things, the things you had fun with and everything that you learnt from it. You've got to remember that there's people who never have that fun, the people who just never smile..."

"What? Like Joe?" Miley said with a stiff laugh.

"No...Joe is...Well actually, yes, like Joe. You don't want to end up like Joe do you? Grumpy and old and not going for what he really wants..." Lilly told her. Miley raised an eyebrow at this.

"Wait, what do you mean 'not going for what he really wants'? Do you mean that he isn't married to Taylor yet because he hasn't had time?" She asked. Lilly bit her lip slightly, the Stewart sibling didn't know a thing about what had happened between her and their older brothers; as a matter of fact, all of the Stewarts thought that they couldn't stand each other when the truth was that they loved each other more that either ever thought possible. Lilly and Joe had kissed, more that once actually, and they had told each other what their feelings were but, no matter how much Joe promised that he'd leave Taylor...it never happened and that only produced tension for both of them and it was the source of their persistent bickering. That's what had initially led to the whole "confusion" that involved Joe thinking that 'Drum', the drummer from her band, and her were involved with each other.

"Yes..." Lilly lied.

"Well," Miley continued. "I really don't care, Lilly, I...I wish I'd never gone into this...it hurts so much..."

Lilly smiled sadly. "Okay...let's say that I can take all this pain away but, then, I have to take everything you ever did with Jake, everything you ever felt, every single happy moment you've lived together."

Miley simply rolled her eyes. This girl always knew how to convince her that what she was thinking or doing was wrong.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"Lillian," Joe called as he saw Lilly walk down the stairs.

"Yes, Mr. Freezer?" Lilly asked, wondering what her boss wanted. Joe was about to tell her to not call him that but he knew it would have no use...it wasn't even an insult anymore, it was just a nickname. He was sure that even if all his dreams came true and they finally got together, she would still call him that.

He ran a hand through his hair and looked into her deep blue eyes. "I...I wanted to ask you about Miley, what's wrong with her?" he asked out of curiosity.

"Her heart hurts," Lilly told him sadly. Joe looked scared for a second.

"Is she okay? Should I get a doctor?" the dark-haired young man asked in a panicked voice.

Lilly simply looked at him like he was the dumbest thing on the whole of planet earth. "She's suffering from heart-break, she's not actually hurt..." Lilly explained. "Seriously, Mr. Freezer, you saw her come in crying yesterday and she's been keeping to herself the whole day, even you should be able to realize what's going on there!"

And having said that, she walked out of the front door, going to meet the band at the big shed in 'the kissing pathway'.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Miley and Joe walked towards her bedroom in a familiar silence that had filled the Stewart house for a long time. Noah was in her room, playing, and the twins were "out studying", which tended to mean that they were in a band meeting; Miley knew she should be there too but she really didn't have the strength to go out of the house and even less to see Jake, who was the male lead singer in the band. It was funny...the band...it was created by Lilly before she started working at the Stewart house and she was the main singer and song writer...Selena Russo, who was dating her brother's best friend (Nick), and Charlotte Mayer were the dances along with the twins, 'Drum' (Jason Earn) was the drummer and Miley was the main dancer and the main backup singer. The whole band thing was a complete secret...if Joe found out that the twins and Miley were in it he'd probably kill them but that didn't stop them, they adored being in it – at least, she did before all of this happened.

"Miley, why don't you have a nice bath, get dressed and we can go out and get a coffee and talk," Joe suggested, trying to talk to his sister.

"Talk about what, Joe?" Lilly asked incredulously. "I seriously doubt there's anything you can say to help me out in this subject."

Joe looked at her slightly hurt. "What do you mean by that?" he asked as Miley started walking towards her room.

"The only thing I mean," Miley stated as she turned her head around to look at Joe. "Is that I doubt the advice from someone who doesn't understand love would be any good, no offence..."

Nick was listening to all of this from behind Joe but the two siblings didn't seem to realize. He understood that Miley thought this way because, who wouldn't after having seen Taylor? But he also knew how horrible this was probably making his best friend feel.

"Miley, you know nothing of how much I understand what you're going through..." Joe told her sincerely, he didn't want to shout at her, he just wanted her to treat him like he was just another human, not an alien without feeling.

"What? With Taylor? Yeah, I'm sure you've been so heartbroken," Miley said sarcastically. "Common, Joe...you don't even love the witch..."

"You're right," Joe said, making Lilly and Nick gap at what he had just confessed. And, without giving any further information, Joe walked down the stairs, looking at Nick on his way there.

Lilly followed his figure as he left with her gaze and then realized Nick was standing there. She raised an eyebrow at him and asked him a question.

"Was it me, or did he just admit he's not in love with Taylor?" the teenager asked.

"I...I'm not really sure what..." Nick mumbled not wanting to say anything that might turn out wrong in the end. Finally he decided to change the subject. "It doesn't matter. Miley, you really can't talk to your brother that way..."

"He doesn't understand a thing, Nick...I'm hurt...he just..."

Nick smiled sadly at the girl. "I know Miley, but you've got to cheer up, okay? Go out, have fun..." he suggested. Miley looked at him for a second and realized that maybe he was right. She smiled, gave him a quick hug and a friendly kiss on the cheek and ran into her bedroom.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"I need to just let it all out, Nick," Joe confessed as he sat in his room, which was also a small office where he worked from.

"Fine, then let it all out, Joe...be human for once," Nick told him, gaining a glare from his best friend.

Joe stood up and walked around the room frantically. "I've never been like this, Nico...lying to Taylor...sneaking around...looking at Lilly at any chance I get..."

"Well, it was about time," Nick commented. "German, you're engaged to someone you don't love and you're pushing the person you love away...it's pathetic."

"No, what _is _pathetic is that I can't control myself," Joe stated.

"You can't control yourself because Lilly's the one and you know it..."Nick assured him. Joe knew it but he didn't really want it to be that way; Lilly was crazy, unstable...something that would never give him a moment of peace but, when he thought about it, if he was with her peace wasn't something he needed.

"My parent's chose Taylor for me to marry, and it's who I will marry," Joe stated firmly. "It's the only thing that make sense. I'm going to have to tell Lilly that she can't work here anymore."

At that point Nick was nodding slowly, not really listening to his best friend but, as he said the last bit, his head shot up and he stood up immediately.

"You can't do that!" he shouted at him. "Your sibling's love her...she's like a mother to Noah and it's not fair for you to take that away from them just because you can't deal with your feelings."

"I guess so...I just don't know what I'll do..." Joe mumbled in an annoyed tone.

Nick looked at him for a second and had an idea. "I do...look, remember that girl I'm dating?"

"That Selena girl who's young enough to be your niece..." Joe laughed.

"She's eighteen, turning nineteen soon and...Come on...I'm only about 5 and a half years older..." Nick excused himself.

"Whatever you say but if you get arrested don't forget I told you so."

Joe was only joking, he had met the girl and she was pretty much a woman...he'd even say that Lilly was more of a child that she was; of course, that was probably because Lilly believe in magic and fairies and stuff that most grownups would laugh at. Joe thought it was magical, thought. He loved the way she was so innocent and believed so much in life and happiness.

"Anyways, the point is that she dances in this band and they're doing a small show in the kissing passageway...do you think, maybe, you could stop being a cold hearted alien for a few hours and enjoy some live music?"

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"Look, he's come to see the show," Selena half-screamed as she saw Nick walking in between the crowd. "It's a sign that we're meant to be together," she said in a dreamy voice.

"No," stated Lilly as she followed Selena's gaze. "It's a sign that we're completely lost," she then said as she saw Joe walking with him.

Zach and Cody looked their way too and gaped at the sight. "Fucking hell," shouted Zach.

"Zach!" Lilly warned him as she remained looking at Joe.

"What's wrong?" asked Miley as she stood up, she was trying her hardest to remain far away from Jake but it was quite hard given the fact that the shed only had two floors and the second one was being painted.

"Your brother's here," Charlotte said, panicking.

Cody looked around with wide-eyes, "What do we do now? We can't go out there or he'll send us all to boarding schools in South Africa..."

A mischievous grin suddenly appeared on Lilly's face.

"Guys, I've got an idea..."

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"When _is _this gonna start?" Joe asked as he looked around.

Nick simply laughed at him. "Do you think you could act like an eighty year old a little less. Even if it's only for a few minutes at a time..."

Joe just gave him a glare.

"So, you and this Selena...are you serious?" Joe asked out of curiosity.

"Well, we're...I mean, not really. She's a pretty girl and she's really nice but...it's not really that kind of 'the one´thing if you get me...I'm starting to wonder if that 'the one' thing even works for me...24 years and it hasn't happened.

"Well, I'm happy for you, Nico," Joe told him sincerely. He'd do anything to be able to get rid of the butterflies that invaded his stomach each time he saw Lilly descending the stairs of his house, with her beautiful blue eyes looking like she was dreaming and her gorgeous blonde hair flowing gently down her back and moving slightly each time she took a step down. The first time he saw her he knew she was the one immediately.

_---Flashback---_

_It was pouring down with rain and Joe was driving along the road, in a mood like always. Miley had come home with terrible exam results and it was up to him to talk her teacher into giving her some extra classes and let her repeat the exams. He was driving carefully but, who was he kidding, his head wasn't on the road._

_Almost out of nowhere appeared a girl in a bike filled with things, he only hit her slightly but everything went flying down on the wet cement. Joe got out quickly, checking if the girl was okay and getting soaked in the process._

"_Are you alright?" he asked worried as the girl, who was wearing a yellow skirt ,a bright pink and multicoloured converse got up slowly._

"_Yes, but my things aren't," she stated without even looking at him. Almost automatically Joe started picking her things up. He grabbed a bunch of stuff that had fallen and stood up so that he could put them in the huge basket that they had been in. He left the stuff there and then look up, only to find himself lost in two eyes he had never seen before. _

_They were stunning, blue with a shade of grey, but it wasn't the eyes that was making him shake, it was the way he was suddenly feeling like this stranger was his best friend, like he had finally found something worth it in his life, like he'd, after all this time, reached home. _

_---End of Flashback---_

A week after that she had appeared on his doorstep, asking for their available job as a nanny. He hadn't known what to do but the minute she came in to have a job interview, Noah came in and they connected so well that he just couldn't say no.

"They're coming out," Nick said as he saw 8 people walk on the stage.

"What's up with the masks?" Joe asked as he realized the eight of them were each wearing a different carnival mask.

"So..."the main singer suddenly said, getting everyone's attention. "This song is one that I composed and it's called it's just there...and it's for someone very special." (_A/N: It's my own song – you can find it on you tube by typing...'It's just me pili rodríguez original' – please do check it out.)_

Having said that, the singer started singing as the rest danced and immediately Joe became paralyzed, the voice was so soft and sweet...it was like it was calling to him.

"_Thinking that you're out laughing with her,  
while I cry...in my small bedroom.  
Singing my voice out and it's you in my head,  
and I can't even pretend._

_'Cause I'm in love and there's no more to that,  
yet there's so much I'm feeling...  
'Cause..._

_Hope appears when you are smiling,  
and I can't help that lights are shinning,  
in my Head.  
And I know I probably won't see you again,  
and I know it's probably for the best.  
But me...  
And you...  
It's just there._

_Wishing on the only wishing star I can see,  
and I don't even believe in those things.  
Writing out words you won't even read,  
and yet they still mean so much to me._

_'Cause I don't know why my heart chose you,  
when that's what I asked it not to do._

_Hope appears when you are smiling,  
and I can't help that lights are shinning,  
in my Head.  
And I know I probably won't see you again,  
and I know it's probably for the best.  
But me...  
And you...  
It's just there._

_  
And I wake up at 3 in the morning,  
Thinking about you,  
And I can't even close my eyes,  
'Cause in the middle of the pitch blackness I see you..._

_Hope appears when you are smiling,  
and I can't help that lights are shinning,  
in my Head.  
And I know I probably won't see you again,  
and I know it's probably for the best.  
But me...  
And you...  
It's just there.  
And...  
Hope appears when you are smiling,  
and I can't help that lights are shinning,  
in my Head.  
And I know I probably won't see you again,  
and I know it's probably for the best.  
But me...  
And you...  
It's just there.  
It's just there...._

"I don't know why they're wearing masks," Nick said. "But I know that they're bloody brilliant."

Joe could only nod in agreement.

* * *

**_A/N: So? Again, I'm sorry for the lack of Niley but you're just gonna have to wait a little bit...I'm sorry :( Anyway, please do check out that song on YouTube. BTW: Can you please tell me if you'd rather little Loe or should I continue making this story about them too. If we don't have a lot of them the chapters will become shorter and it's not like Niley will come any sooner...I personally love writting about it...but if you guys ain't liking it...please let me know. And remember, please REVIEW. I'll say 7 reviews for the next chapter, okay? See ya soon...._**


	5. C3 : Rebel Alert

_I remind you this is NOT a Jiley, it's a NILEY – just one that's gonna take some time to get there. However, I'm hoping you're still enjoying this story._

**CHAPTER 3**

**REBEL ALERT**

"That was so good!" Zach exclaimed as he hugged Lilly. The show had passed fluidly and the audience had loved it, plus, the bonus point was that Joe had left as oblivious as he had arrived.

The air smelt of success and joy but Miley had just realized just how much she couldn't continue sharing a stage with Jake, it was really hurting her to have to sing and dance with him, faking that they were all happy and nothing had happened between the two of them.

"Guys, I've got to tell you something," she spoke, causing the conversations to stop; however, no one was really paying attention – most of them had their backs to her.

"I'm leaving the band," she stated quietly. Everyone's head snapped at her, unbelieving eyes glared at her.

"What? Why?" Jake was the first to speak, but Miley simply ignored him and crossed her arms over her chest as she looked down, guiltily, at the ground.

"Wait, you can't just leave, we've put a lot of effort into letting you and the twins into the band...I mean, keeping this from your brother has been hard, Miley..." Charlotte explained.

Jake stood up and took Miley's arm, softly pushing her aside. "Is this because of me?"

Miley looked up at him with a dirty look. "You really think you're that important to me?" she asked with a bitchy tone, she then turned to everyone else. "I'm sorry guys, I just need to leave, and it's taking precious time that I could be spending on other stuff."

Having said that, she left.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Lilly opened the door to Miley's voice, ready to tell her to lower the volume of her horrible screemo music; however, she wasn't ready for the sight in front of her. Yes, Miley had never been a good girl but the sight in front of her was...scary. The usually organized, pink and purple neat bedroom was a complete mess. Over the walls there were various spray-painted words – nothing really rude, only names of bands and her own name but the black spray paint on the light pink wall looked atrocious. The bed was undone, the covers laying lazily over part of the bed and the floor, and the pillow was half ripped, resting over the huge IPods speakers and vibrating to the rhythm of the music. All her CD's were thrown on the floor, as were several books, and her desk and the area around it were flooded with crumpled up papers.

However, that wasn't the worst thing; the worst thing was the reflection of Miley that Lilly's was observing in the full body mirror. Miley's hair was straightened, falling over her face and covering one of her breathtaking blue eyes, she was wearing a mini skirt short enough to cause a few accidents if she walked next to a road and a top that looked more like a black leather bra that anything else. Apart from that, she wore black lipstick and dark black eye shadow and eye liner, high heeled black boots and a ring piercing on her lip.

Lilly couldn't help but gasp at the sight of the girl who she loved like a sister; she looked even more scary than her bedroom.

"What are you dressed at...the girl from resident evil?" Lilly asked as she walked towards the girl and eyed her head to toe.

Miley didn't answer; she simply continued applying some mascara to her visible eye.

"Miley!" Lilly said, grabbing her arm and turning her so that the two of them were facing each other, she didn't want to be 'that' girl – not the one who rationalized and told Miley off. "What is this?"

"Just a little mess, that's all," she spoke slowly and with a low voice.

"A little mess? This isn't..."

"For god's sake, what's happened here?" A voice from the door was heard. Miley and Lilly turned their heads to see Nick entering the room with difficulty. He walked to the IPod speakers and turned the music off. "You're lucky I told Joe that I'd check why the music was so loud, if he came up here..."

"Let him," Miley told him with an air of indifference. "Not like a give a fuck."

Nick turned around with a raised eyebrow at Miley's language but the minute he saw Miley, his jaw dropped – "He was obviously too busy gaping at what she's done to her bedroom to see what she's done to herself," Lilly thought.

"What the...? Miley, what have you done?" He gasped. Miley simply rolled her eyes.

"What is it that's so terrorising? The piercing? Don't worry it's a magnetic one..." Miley told the two of them, showing them how she could take it off and put it on easily.

"No, the piercings' great; I mean, probably Joe doesn't like it, but it's okay. It's more the fact that you look like you've just come out of an Action/Terror/Zombie and truthfully Porn movie..." Nick explained.

"Are you okay, Nick?" Joe's voice was heard, coming nearer. Nick, Lilly and Nick eyes each other and Miley quickly walked towards the window, let her rope ladder fall and went down it. She smiled slightly as she reached the bottom and, admiring, her look in the reflection of one of the windows on the bottom floor, smiled at herself. Then, she did what she wanted, walked onto the street.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Nick and Lilly quickly walked out of the bedroom and closed the door just in time for Joe to not see the state of it.

"What are you two doing there?" Joe asked suspiciously as he finished walking up the stairs.

"Um...we...Lilly was helping Miley with some homework and Miley said she needed the music but I came up here and told her she can't do it like that..." he explained while Lilly nodded in agreement. "So, I explained how she should do the...the equation...and then...then..."

"Her friend Demi called and Miley is helping her do it...so we must not interrupt," Lilly saved Nick.

"Okay, then," Joe said, his eyebrow still slightly raised. "Nick, we need to work."

"Yes," Nick spoke. "I'll be down in a sec."

Joe started walking down and Nick turned to Lilly and they both entered Miley's bedroom again. Nick walked to the window and looked at the place where Miley should supposedly be after walking down the rope ladder.

"She's gone," Nick told Lilly.

"Of course she's gone, we should've stop her from leaving, we could've kept her away from Joe's sight if she stayed too," Lilly gave a half cry.

"I just don't get what she's doing dressed like that, kids..." Nick spoke.

"I think Miley's hardly a kid anymore, Nico," Miley stated. Nick didn't really give it a thought; he simply shrugged and walked down the stairs.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Miley walked down the street, getting quite a few stairs; some disapproving, others desiring, and others misunderstanding...she'd even seen one of pity. She walked slowly, looking at the ground, angry with everything and everyone. She walked past an old man in his seventies that stopped and stared at her.

"Do I have something on my face?" She shouted angrily at the man while she walked past him. She kept on walking and past three guys with motorbikes parked on the pavement.

"Hey babe," one of them, dressed with a brown leather jacket and wearing long dirty blonde curls greeted in a cool voice as she passed him.

"Call your grandmother that," Miley told him, stilled looking fixed at the ground and with a monotone voice.

"Hey, don't be so mean to me," the same guy said. "Or I'll have nightmares later on; don't be so bad with me..."

Miley turned around with a sign and looked at the guy in disgust. He was cute, she had to admit that, but she also had to admit she loved playing hard to get.

"Come on, come with me and I'll take you for a ride," he told her, resting a hand on his black Harley. Miley sent him another glare.

"Go fuck yourself," she told him cheekily and then turned around and continued walking.

"Jeez, gorgeous, what are you? Fighting with life?" the guy spoke again.

"Yes," Miley shouted back, she was already quite far away.

"Well, when the two of you form a truce remember I'm here, waiting for you," he told her. Miley continued walking but with a smile on her face.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"Bye Racer," the other two motor bikers said as they head off. Racer got off his bike and watched them go away; he then turned around to find the girl he'd complimented before, sat on the back of his bike.

"We kind of reached a truce," Miley said with a seductive smile.

Racer smiled 'coolly' at her and got on the bike. "Hold on tight, babe."

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"Lilly, can't you find someone else to look for Miley...can't the twins help you?" Jake asked as Lilly stood in front of him, begging for help.

"No, I can't, please Jake...just for an hour or so; I'd ask Nick to help me but he's stuck with the freezer...please, she's dissapeard, what if something's happened to her?"

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Miley raised her arms in the air and took her helmet off. She felt free, like nothing could happen to her, like the world didn't really exist anymore...it was only her against the wind that ran through her hair and hit her in the face. Racer, she didn't know the true name of the guy she was with, was good enough...he proved to be a laugh and he took his mind of Jake, it wasn't ideal but she knew it was as good as it would get.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"Lilly," Jake moaned as him and his friend walked up to the Stewart mansion. "It's been two hours, I need to get to work, and Miley's old enough to look after herself..."

"I know that," Lilly assured him. "It's just that you didn't see how she looked when she left the house – it was worst than when she went all emo on us two months ago."

"It can't be worst..." Jake shut up as he saw a guy and a girl on a huge motorbike pull in to the Stewart driveway. He gaped as the girl got off and he realized she was Miley. Miley leaned into the guy and gave him a quite peck on the lips, like she's been with him for ages.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"So, see you tomorrow?" Racer asked. Miley nodded.

"Yes, pick me up at 12 from that school I told you about," she told him.

"Sure thing, we'll go to the motocross circuit nearby...I'll show you what it's like to be in the middle of all the action," Racer informed her.

"You mean, I'll race with you?" Miley asked, truthfully a little scared.

The guy nodded and blinked at her, leaving in his motorbike a second later.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"Man, it's just horrible," Jake told Drum as the two of them sat on the top floor of the shed were the band practised. The top bit was like a mezzanine where they kept all the clothes for shows and the spare drum sticks and the guitar, you could sit at the top and just let you legs hang down while you saw everything going on at the bottom. On the bottom floor there was a few Sofa's and a fridge around the small space they had set up for practises...it wasn't perfect but it was a pretty good place for the band. "I saw her and I just couldn't recognize her. She's back to her emo look but worst, it's more black this time and she's got a piercing."

"A piercing?" asked Drum with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, but the worst thing is how she kissed the guy...like they've been dating since first grade...like she actually knows what's gone through that mouth..."

"And just like you are so jealous it's pathetic, man," Drum told him. "If you really love this girl as much as it sounds like...go for it...who cares if she's young, who cares if she should get someone better...just go for it..."

"Maybe I will..."

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

_Clack, Clack, Clack_

Like most other late afternoons, Nick and Joe were engaged in yet another fencing duel.

"You should've seen him look at her, it was a disgrace...the prat..." Joe told Nick with a disgusted look on his face. He had taken Lilly to help him out in the office while the kids where at school and it had turned out badly wrong when the model son of one of Joe's main promoters, set an eye on Lilly. "He thinks he's so good and can get anyone and she's just so naive."

"Maybe, maybe not, maybe he's a good guy and you're just dying of jealousy, like always when it comes to Lilly."

"I don't..." Joe tried to defend himself but he knew it was useless. "Fine, but there's something odd about him, trust me with this one, Nico,"

_Clack, Clack, Clack_

"Of course, I will, don't I always?"

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"What do you have on your lip, Miley?" Noah Stewart's little voice asked as she looked at her sister, who was having breakfast on the kitchen table.

"Something that's gonna cause World War 3 when Joe finds out," Cody told the little girl.

"I just don't get what the point is in wearing it right now," Zach told Miley. "It's magnetic, no? Well, take it out now and put it in when Joe cannot see you.

"I'm not scared of Joe, Zach. I don't care what he thinks..."

"Good Morning, Taylor," Joe's voice was heard from the living room. Miley got up, turned around and left the room.

"Good to know you aren't scared of him, Miles," Zach shouted after her.

"What's up with the shouting?" Joe asked as he came in.

"Yes," Taylor stated her permanent bitchy tone. "Is it really necessary for you to act like animals?"

"Animals can't wear rings on their mouths," Noah spoke childishly.

"No one here has a ring in their mouth, Noah," Lilly said quickly as she came in.

"Yes, of course not. By the way, where's Mil..." Joe didn't finish the sentence. "A ring? Seriously?" He then said looking at the twins. The two of them simply bit their lips.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"You ready," Racer asked as he parked in front of the school and looked at Miley.

"Yes," she replied.

"Miley!" a voice shouted, Miley turned around to see Demi running towards them. Demi had been her friend since first grade, they weren't really those kinds of BFF's but they trusted each other and tended to search each other's help. "Where are you going?"

"To the motocross race down town," Miley said before Racer took off.

Cody and Zach both ran out as they saw their sister leave in the motorbike. "Where's she going?" they both asked Demi simultaneously.

"To the motocross race down town...that doesn't sound safe, does it?" Demi asked them.

"No, it doesn't...Zach call Lilly, she'll know what to do..."

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"I have no idea what to do!" Lilly shouted as she told the band what Miley had done.

"I'll call Nick," Selena said as she pulled out her cell phone.

"No," Lilly said. "Look, I need to pick up the kids from school and I need to call the freezer...he needs to know this, that place really is dangerous. So, I'll pick up the kids, call the freezer...and you lot need to get there before something bad happens to her.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Racer had gone to get the bike and Lilly was looking at the other racers.

"Don't you think you're a little young to race," a guy that she recognised as one of Racer's friends asked her.

"I'm not racing, I'm just going for a round with Racer," she told him.

"Do you know about the accident a month ago?" he asked her. She shook her head. "A slim girl your age, she fell and they run over her left leg...amputated it the day after..."

Miley gulped slightly as Racer came along with his bike and asked her to get on it.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"And now...now she got a...piercing," Joe told Nick as they walked out of the office. Nick gave him a half smile.

"Did you see it?" he asked.

"No, Noah told me, it's incredible that..." but he was interrupted by the sound of him phone. He pulled it out and brought it to his ear. "Lilly?"

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Miley could feel her hands shaking, the huge helmet didn't let her hold on to anything properly, she could feel her body shaking as the motorbike went faster, in every small hill she saw her life pass in front of her eyes, she was falling slowly, she could feel it. Her neck hurt as she tried to hold on for dear life.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"Where is she?" Joe asked as he ran towards the band, who were staring at the race.

"We don't know," Selena told him. "We just arrived."

"Look, she's there," Jake spotted out in time to see Racer and Miley take the biggest hill.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Miley could feel her hands slipping and her body falling as they did the biggest jump, she just slipped off and fell to the ground like a doll. She could here shouts but her head pained. The ---where to not go up the hill with enough speed, she would be as good as dead but she just didn't have the strength to get up. Racer had left her behind and continued the rest and she felt how her everything around her went black.

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_**Okay, How was it? I'm pretty worried you've gotten fed up of this and I hope you haven't because I really think it has potential. I think it's something really knew (the way I'm doing it), quite original fanfiction wise and I REALLY want to here what you think about it – your impressions – what you think could be better – what you think is good. I worked my ass of on this one, and i mean it because it's taking me three and a half hours and me ass aches, so, please, REVIEW**_


	6. C4 : Beautiful Sound

**CHAPTER 4**

**BEAUTIFUL SOUND**

"You're awake…" Joe muttered softly as he saw Miley's eyes flutter open. He saw her looking around, obviously taking in her surroundings. They had stopped the race and taken Miley to the hospital, the doctor told them there was no physical damaged but she must be in shock so they took her to her room and Joe had waited beside her for over five hours now.

Neither of them said anything. Miley sat up and the memories of everything that had happened entered her mind and flooded it. How could she have been so stupid? She could be dead right now. Miley looked at Joe and tried to say something but she couldn't, same as she couldn't help the tears that had started to form in her eyes.

Joe couldn't look at her, not when he'd just been about to lose her, not when he'd seen her face danger just like he'd seen his dad's helicopter fall to the ground with his parents inside. He buried his face in his hands as a sob escaped his lips, he couldn't help it. Miley looked at him with a pained expression, knowing it was her fault he was crying. He looked up slowly and Miley threw her thin arms around him and crushed him tightly to her, both of them letting the tears filled with fear and unsaid words fall freely.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Miley," Joe cried as he pulled away from her slightly and looked into her puffy blue eyes. "If something ever happened to you, I...I couldn't live with it."

"I'm sorry, it's just...sometimes...I'm SO angry with everything and I just need to take it out on something," she explained with tears still falling down her eyes. Joe gave her another huge hug.

"I promise I'm gonna stop acting like I'm a sergeant, I'm really gonna try to understand you..." he promised her, still wrapped in her embrace.

"I'm gonna stop all this nonsense...I promise, Joe...and I'm gonna start playing the piano again," she promised him back, causing Joe to look at her wide eyed. Miley hadn't played the piano since she got the news of her parent's death.

"Really?" Joe asked.

"Really."

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

The next morning, Joe walked downstairs only to see Lilly speaking on the phone with a blush covering the white skin of her face.

"Yes, sure, I'm free tonight..." he heard her say and he felt fury substitute blood in his veins. He knew she was talking to that stupid model, Pablo Cicaronni.

"Darling," A voice interrupted his thought. He turned around to see Taylor running towards him. "The credit on my credit card went completely out...I need a new one."

Joe took a look at her and hit himself mentally, how could he have proposed to this girl? How was it possible that he had convinced himself that this was the right thing to do?

"No...We need to tall Taylor," Joe said slowly without realizing that Lilly was already of the phone and had heard there conversation.

"Yes, well, I," Taylor started mumbling, being perfectly aware of what normally came after the phrase that Joe had spoken. "I have to go," she spoke quickly before walking back up the stairs.

"It's not gonna happen, Mr. Freezer," Lilly told him fondly from where she was standing. Joe turned around to look at her.

"What won't happen, Lillian?" he asked curiously.

Lilly signed. "You're not going to leave her; it's just not going to happen...she'll do something to keep a hold of you, just like she always does."

For a moment he felt like telling her to mind her own business but he had promised Miley he'd stop being so much of a...well...freezer. "Is that why you're going out with that jerk tonight?" he asked cautiously.

Lilly breathed in and looked up at him, taking in all the air she could to be able to tell him what she wanted to tell him clearly. "You acknowledge my feeling towards you, and so do I but I'm trying to do the best thing for me and move on...I feel sorry that you're the one that's probably going to be stuck in a future that doesn't really suit...because, mark my words, she'll do anything to not lose you, or more like your fortune, and you're going to be stuck with her for the rest of your life. I'm sorry..." there was a pause and for one second Joe thought she was going to call him 'Joe' but no such luck. "I'm sorry, Mr. Freezer, but I'm not going to tag alone and be the third person, my mum and my fairies have taught be better than that."

After saying that, she entered the kitchen and started helping Greta prepare lunch.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"Hi Miley," A voice said as Miley turned the corner with Zach and Cody on each side of her. "Hi guys," the voice belonging to Jake greeted the twins too.

"Hey, man," the twins said in unison.

"Do you think I can talk to your sister for a minute?" Jake asked looking at Miley.

"That's kind of up to her," Cody answered.

"Kids, go to school, it meet you there soon enough," Miley told the twins who obeyed quietly but stayed around the corner.

Miley looked at Jake with a questioning look, wondering what he could want.

"I want you back in the band," was his answer to Miley's silent question. Miley shifted from one foot to the other and looked down at the ground uncomfortably.

"It's too hard for too many reasons, Jake. I don't think I can go back...I'm sorry..." she answered him before starting to walk away.

"Miley, please...I need you..." hearing this, Miley turned around abruptly. She looked at his face and immediately knew she had walked into a trap, she could never say no to him after this. She looked at him for a second and hesitantly nodded.

"Al right," she answer, and then she turned around and walked to school.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"Calm down, German!" Nick shouted at Joe as he tried to catch up with him. Joe was going completely mental, he was going on about wanting to quit everything with Taylor and somehow they'd ended up in Lilly's famous tree. It was a funny tree. Six months ago Lilly had planted it right underneath the window of her bedroom, which was on the third floor of the house, it was a little twig for a while and overnight suddenly it grew a lot, and the again and again until miraculously one of its branches broke Lilly's window and entered through her bedroom, resting right on top of where she slept every night.

"And she's going out with that stupid Italian tonight...go! She love me and she's still doing all this to me..." Joe moaned.

"Excuse me, German, but...you're the one who's been playing with her feeling since she arrived at this house. You've promised her the moon and lately it seems that you're teasing her with it, putting it in her hands and then just taking it away. I know she's made you feel like no one has ever before but that's hardly Lilly's fault, Joe. Feel lucky that you've found the one, Lilly's it for you so don't let it go."

"So...no luck with this Selena girl?" Joe asked Nick with a smug luck.

"Nah, not really, I mean she's great and all but not the one...I feel a little bad, you know, playing around with her like this but maybe my one just isn't around..." Nick laughed and started walking away. "Where are you going?" Joe asked.

"To see the one who's not my one," Nick chuckled.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"Come on, Guys, there's no way we're getting anywhere if you don't ever arrive on time," moaned Drum as the twins, Miley and Lilly made their way into the shed ten minutes late.

"Sorry, but we had to sneak out of the house without the freezer noticing," Lilly excused them. Charlotte rolled her eyes.

"Don't you think it's about time you tell the freezer? I mean, it's just gonna get more and more complicated." She warned them.

"Yes," Selena agreed. "Besides, Nick and me are very serious and I'm gonna have to tell him the truth soon and Joe is Nick's best friend and, therefore, will be his best man – it's not like he can lie to him."

"Best man?" Miley repeated. "Don't you think you should control your imagination a little, it's getting way out of hand?"

Selena was about to send Miley a witty comment back but Lilly interrupted her, not wanting any trouble. "The point is that we can't tell the Freezer, he'd kick me out and send the kids to a boarding school in Pakistan."

"Okay, let's just get on with the practice," Jake spoke, sending everyone to their place.

Drum started hitting the drums and Lilly started singing closely after. (Song might be on YouTube soon, I'll say so in a chapter when I've got it uploaded.

"_Don't say it was me, _

_For everyday I regret,_

_What I did that day,_

_The day that you left._

_It hurt me too,_

_You weren't the only victim,_

_I had been there for you,_

_Too much, _

_I guess,_

_That's why it broke._

_It's breaking, _

_So slowly,_

_And my heart can't take it anymore..."_

They continued singing, so hypnotized by the music that they didn't realize how the door opened and Nick Grey entered, looked up and let out a small gasp as he saw Lilly, the twins and Miley singing on the stage.

The door closed behind him hardly, and suddenly the music ceased and the Stuart sibling and Lilly looked wide eyed at Nick.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"Mother!" Taylor shouted into the phone."I KNOW he's going to do it; I'm not as thick as he might think. I NEED that money, mother, WE need that money..."

"Calm down, baby," a cold and distant voice said. "There's only one thing you can do to keep someone as noble as Joe with you. There's only one thing that will keep Joe with you."

Taylor gaped slightly and then shook her head. "No, mother, Joe isn't sleeping with me anymore, he doesn't want to...ever."

"When was the last time, sweetie?" asked the cold voice.

"2 months ago," Taylor answered, not sure where this was going.

"Well then it seems you need to tell that Stuart that you're two months pregnant, dear."

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"I can't believe you've been keeping this from Joe, he's gonna kill you," Nick told the band as he shook his head.

"Not if he doesn't find out," Miley said in a begging voice as she placed herself next to Nick in the sofa he was sitting at. "Please, don't tell him Nick..."

Nick looked at Miley with a pained expression on his face. "I can't do that, Miles," he then turned to the whole band. "Joe's my best friend, he's like a brother, and I can't just lie to him."

"Oh! And you can let him send the twins and Miley to some boarding school and then send me to China to count rice with Chinese sticks?" Lilly asked, using a Chinese accent when she spoke the last comment.

Nick looked around him and felt guilt sting, he knew he couldn't take this away from them, he'd seen them on stage...he knew how much this meant to them.

"I guess a little lie doesn't hurt anyone..." he said with a smile.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Nick parked outside the Stuart house three hours later and got ready to get out of his car just to be pushed back into it by Joe.

"What are you doing?" he asked the dark-haired man.

"Do you see that car?" he asked in response, pointing at a modern black car which Lilly was entering. Nick nodded. "You need to follow it and spy on them."

"What?" Nick turned to his friend like he'd gone completely bonkers. "Is that Cicaronni?" Joe nodded. "No! I'm not gonna do that"

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"They're getting out of the car," Nick spoke into the phone 30 minutes later. He really didn't know how Joe always convinced him to do these things, it was so unfair. He got out of the car and followed the pair.

"They're going into a house, I can't go in there, German," Nick protested. Joe signed frustrated.

"It can't be his house, Lilly would never agree to that, it must be one of those places that look like a house but have a restaurant it the back yard or someone...find a way to get in there and call me when you see them again!"

Having said that, Joe hung up, leaving Nick angry.

The curly haired man walked towards the house and found a small gate that leaded to a staircase. He walked down it and found that Joe was right. Cicaronni and Lilly where in a terrace having a romantic dinner. He typed Joe's number and took the phone to his ear.

"Joe, they're here and they're having a normal romantic dinner. He doesn't look like he's about to pull out a knife and...No! She is not looking at him like she looks at you when she thinks you're not looking...now, I'M GOING!"

And before giving him a chance to say anything, he hung up and walked back to his car.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Miley walked slowly down the stairs, looking at the long and black piano like it was a challenge. She headed towards it and ran a hand on top of the clean and cold surface, she stiffened at the touch. She sat down carefully on the stool and lifted the cover that was separating her fingers from he keys, she took of the dusty red key coverer and she placed her hands on top of the marble white keys. Hesitantly and pushing her lips together, she pressed down slowly and she felt an aura surround her, she hadn't plaid since that fateful night and she'd forgotten the feeling that she gained when that wonderful music came out of her fingers.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"Look, Joe, I appreciate that you trust me more than anyone and all that shit you're trying to feed me but you have to deal with your feelings alone...no more putting me in the middle, okay?"

Joe, who was sitting behind his death nodded with a scowl decorating his face. "Fine."

"Fine," nick repeated as he walked out of the office.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Miley continued playing and after a few minutes started singing along with the sweet melody.

"_Your chestnut hair and your chocolate eyes..."_ she sang without realizing that someone was coming out of Joe's office.

Nick came out and suddenly stood very still, he hadn't ever heard that voice before. He turned to look at the Piano and was stunned to see Miley playing. A feeling covered his body then, like he was seeing right for the first time. When had Miley grown up so much? He saw her there and couldn't quite believe his eyes...she looked like a woman not a kid. Her voice entered his ears and he couldn't do anything but gap at the sight and the beautiful sound in front of him.

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_A/N: __**Well, how was that? Finally Niley has arrived!! Yahoo!!! Well, I put a lot of effort into this chapter – the whole morning – and I really would like to here what you guys have to say about this, I really do want to here what you think/like/dislike bout EVERYTHING. Please DO Review and tell me.**_


	7. C5 : The Start Of Something New

_A/N: Okay, there's kind of a new character coming in this chapter. He's called Tyler Marburg and he's meant to be played by 'Tyler Hilton' – You might know him from One Tree Hill as Chris Keller (The guy who got in between Naley in season 2) or as the guy who starred in Taylor Swift's Teardrops on my guitar video – here he will be Miley's piano teacher._

_**In the last Episode...**_

_Nick came out and suddenly stood very still, he hadn't ever heard that voice before. He turned to look at the Piano and was stunned to see Miley playing. A feeling covered his body then, like he was seeing right for the first time. When had Miley grown up so much? He saw her there and couldn't quite believe his eyes...she looked like a woman not a kid. Her voice entered his ears and he couldn't do anything but gap at the sight and the beautiful sound in front of him._

**CHAPTER 5**

**THE START OF SOMETHING NEW**

"_Your unique voice and your choice..." _Miley continued as Nick came out of his shock slightly and walked towards the long black piano, leaning against it slightly.

"_I don't know if I could-"_the young woman continued; however, she suddenly stopped as she realized she wasn't alone. Her fingers were of the keys immediately and a faint blush appeared on her face. "I didn't know there was someone here," she spoke in an unnatural shy voice as she ran her hands through her dark hair, which she had left in its original locks. As she lifted her gaze and look at Nick, he realized she was close to tears.

"What's wrong?" he asked, slightly concerned.

She shook her head.

"It's...I don't know," she muttered sadly. Nick looked at her again, really surprised by the way her voice sounded so much more mature, he would have sworn that her voice was still squeaky yesterday.

He walked forwards and leaned on the part of the piano that was closest to her. He smiled but it was mostly to himself. "I'd forgotten how well you played," he told her randomly and with an absent expression on his face. "And...Your voice...it really has changed...I..."

"I had forgotten how good my fingers felt on the keys and how free you feel after singing your heart out like there's no tomorrow...I've missed it so muck, Nick," she confessed, sorrow reflecting in her eyes.

Nick found himself staring at her deeply again. "Is that why your sad?" he asked her in a low voice.

Miley shrugged slightly. "No, I...I'm just...it's so complicated...I'm not sure of anything."

Miley signed and buried her head in her hand, causing Nick to sit next to her on the piano stool and putting his arm softly around her.

"What aren't you sure off?" he asked her curiously, pleased to feel her relax in his embrace and strangely feeling very glad that he could comfort her. She simply shrugged.

"Everything," she answered. "Nothing," she contradicted herself. "I don't know..."

Nick couldn't help but chuckle. "It happens, when you're a teenager, nothing makes sense and everything is out o place...but as you become an adult, you set yourself a target...a fixed path that you want to follow, and you're pretty closed to that stage, I can see."

Miley smiled at him and he couldn't help but admire the beauty of her smile and the way it reached the beautiful blue eyes, _has she been covering up her face lately? _Nick couldn't help but think, it's like she'd just changed radically but, in truth, he could see that she'd had the exact same eyes the first time he saw her as a baby.

The sound of a door interrupted Nick's thought.

"Why's the piano opened?" Joe's odd jolly voice was heard approaching. Miley pulled away from Nick, leaving him feeling slightly lonely, and smiled at her brother.

"I promised you I'd play...I'm playing..." the soon-to-be-sixteen-year-old explained.

A huge smile appeared on Joe's face and he looked directly at Nick. "Can you believe this?" he asked him best friend. Nick simply smiled as Joe looked back at Miley, kneeled down to be on the same level as the girl and engulfed her in a huge hug, planting a kiss on her cheek.

Joe pulled away from his sister, feeling extremely happy. "Thank you, thanks you so much...you don't know how much this means to me...mum would be so proud," he told her sincerely. Miley gulped slightly at the mention on her deceased mother but she found herself smiling as her and Joe looked at the big portrait of her woman in question, which was hung on top of the fireplace.

Joe suddenly felt a hand ruffling his hair and he looked up to see Greta smiling sadly at him. "Tell her," the old woman said. "Tell Mrs. Stuart about Miley."

It took Joe a second to understand what Greta was getting at but as soon as he got it he shook his head, he had never talked to her mum after her death...only in his dreams.

"Why not?" Miley asked. "She's here, isn't she? Just like Lilly always says...the ones who love you never leave, they're always here, protecting and looking over us."

Joe chuckled slightly, stood up straight, and walked up to the portrait.

"Well, you already heard her, mum, and I'm not gonna let her stop this time, I'm gonna get her the best teacher that there is and I'm gonna look after her...just like you did." Joe spoke into the air, and he could swear he felt something as he spoke the last words.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

(THE NEXT MORNING)

"And then they fly through the sky in their different colours and they talk to me and help me," Lilly told Noah as the two of them sat comfortably on one of the couches that decorated the Stuart's living room. Joe listened and couldn't help but smile at the two girls. He went down the stairs and slowly made his way to the couch, where he sat down next to Noah.

"Lilly's fairies are blue, red and green," Noah told her older brother with a cute laugh. Joe smiled widely and took the little girl in his arms.

"They are, are they?" Joe asked her, laughing. Lilly tried to keep a straight face but it was proved impossible; Joe's laughs were rare but when anyone heard them they were extremely contagious. After saying that, Noah jumped off Joe's lap and started telling him all about Lilly's fairies and her magical tree and soon enough she was talking more to herself than anyone else.

"I'm going to leave her," Joe told Lilly in a whisper as he kept his eyes set on know, faking that he was listening to the small 5-year-old.

"No you're not, something will happen," Lilly assured him, her eyes set on Noah too. Joe shifted in his position and turned his head to look at the blonde, when she didn't look back he grabbed her chin and softly forced their gazes to connect.

"You're the positive one who believes in magic...why don't you believe in us?" he asked her, he didn't know what it was but today he felt like he could be himself, maybe it was the fact that Miley had played the piano last night...he didn't know but he didn't really care, the only thing that mattered was that today he felt like he could finally make a choice and be happy.

Lilly signed and looked right into his eyes. "Mr. Freezer," she whispered, checking that Noah was still busy talking to herself. "I love you and you obviously love me but I can't take the whole 'Infidelity' business – How many times have you promised me that you and the witch will cancel the engagement? How many times have I sat in my small bedroom, talking to my fairies about how we're gonna be happy and you have come up and told me that the witch isn't feeling well or is slightly depressed so you'll have to wait until tomorrow to tell her the truth?"

"I know I've been a bastard, okay?" he spoke quietly. "But I'm really going to end this."

"Well, It won't be a long time until it's too late," Lilly told him as she got up and picked Noah.

"Is that supposed to mean that you're getting serious with this Cicaronni?" Joe asked her, hurt visible in his tone.

"Maybe, maybe not, it's all really-" But Lilly was interrupted by a shrieking and horrible voice.

"Joseph! I need to tell you something," Taylor's voice was heard making Lilly role her eyes and Joe sign heavily. Lilly started walking away with Noah, who was still talking to herself, in her arms.

"I'm going to do it!" Joe shouted after her.

And he swore he heard her mutter, "If only it was true..."

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Lilly walked to the kitchen after leaving Noah watching some TV; only to find Nick leaning over the counter, watching Greta fuss over some food she was cooking.

"Hey," Lilly greeted as she leaned on the counter beside Nick. The young man turned to look at the blonde and smiled; Lilly smiled back but the smile didn't reach her beautiful eyes.

"So," Nick started. "Problems in hell?"

Lilly laughed slightly at the changed typical phrase. "Just the typical," she told him but then added quietly, "Is he going to cancel the engagement...I need to know, Nico."

Nick shrugged with a sad smile on his face. "He's trying, you know he is...he's not in love with Taylor; It's just...look, Lilly, there's a lot of pressure behind all of this. Mr. and Mrs. Stuart planned this for him and he doesn't want to disappoint them...even if we all know that Mrs. Stuart would have a well deserved fit if she was a live and watching all of this right now. The point is, he wants to do it, Lilly, he really does."

"I don't know what to believe anymore," Lilly murmured. Nick, seeing that maybe they should stop talking about his best friend, changed the subject.

"Anyway, I'm taking Miley to school today...take a walk with her," the 24-year-old informed her.

"Really?" Lilly smiled. "You're not trying to take my place as a nanny, are you?"

Nick chuckled. "No, no need to worry. I just wanna talk to her, you know...she's back playing the piano and I think it's good for her – I'm just gonna try and keep her happy and help her set her way.

"That's great, Nico," Lilly sincerely said.

"Yeah. And, besides, maybe Joe will be a little happier," Nick added without even realized that he was stirring the conversation towards the dark haired man again.

Lilly snorted. "It's hard for cows to fly but...do it for Miley; it'll be great for her."

"Yeah, it will..."

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"I remember," Miley spoke as she and Nick descended the street, arm in arm. "When I was a little girl...dad always used to piggyback me to the piano and I would listen to mum play it."

"You always did that?" Nick asked curiously, finding himself enjoying Miley's presence a lot more that he had initially thought he would.

"Yes," Miley half-laughed. "It was amazing, I always sat there and felt hypnotized by the way her thin fingers touched the keys and moved so gracefully...I remember asking myself how taping a few keys could make such a beautiful sound...and when she sang...god, that was just the icing on the cake, I would fall into the most peaceful sleep when she sang to me."

"Now I get why you're so good at it," Nick complimented her, making Miley blush deeply.

"Yeah, I used to play it at every hour and then...well, mum and dad had the helicopter accident and I just, felt so angry all of a sudden," Miley explained sadly. Nick stopped and turned to Miley so that he was facing her and holding both her hands in his.

Nick signed. "Why were you so angry?" he asked her seriously but with comfort shinning through his low tone.

"I don't know. Firstly...I just...my heart kind of broke each time I saw the piano and the way my reflection shinned on it and I knew mum's reflection would never be seen in it ever again and, on the other hand, I was just so angry because they left and now I know they didn't want to leave but back then it was like they'd abandoned me."

Nick reached out and pulled a loosed strand of Miley's brown curly hair behind her ear. "You're probably thinking I'm such dimwit," Miley told Nick with a half-smile decorating her still pale face.

"No!" Nick exclaimed. "No, of course, not. Everyone grieves differently; they take in pain however their system permits them to take it in. What I do think is a little weird is that you want to play the piano and sing again, aren't you afraid it's all going to come back and hurt you?"

Miley shook her head. "No...I've thought about it and I've reached the conclusion that it's about time I forgive them for something they didn't have a say on, right?"

Nick didn't answer; he simply looked at Miley strangely.

"Am I freaking you out, or something?" Miley asked as she tried to analyse the absent expression on Nick's face. "I mean, you're just looking at me like..."

"No, everything's fine," Nick assured her. "It's just; I'm looking at you and...I know you since you were so tiny and now I see how you've grown so, so much and so, so quickly." Miley blushed lightly but still looked at Nick with a questionable expression on her face. She was told continuously that she looked older that she actually was but never by her brothers or Nick...to them she tended to always be the little girl.

Nick suddenly realized how Miley was looking at him and he changed he changed the subject quickly.

"So," he spoke. "What _is_ going on with this boyfriend of yours? What's up with this guy?"

"What?" she asked. "With Jake?"

"Yes," he answered her.

"Well, it's kind of...you know," Miley spoke.

Then, in unison, they both said. "Complicated."

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"Is that on sell," a tall, brown-haired guy asked Drum as he pointed at a piano that was set outside Drum's mother's antique store.

"Yes," Drum answered him.

Tyler let out a small laugh "Can I try it?" he asked politely.

"Yes, sure thing!" Drum exclaimed as he opened the piano for the handsome guy.

Tyler sat down comfortably and ran his fingers through the keys, making the sound of a peculiar scale sound.

"_Were do you go when you're lonely,_

_Where do you go when you're blue..." _the talented young man who looked like he was about eighteen sang.

Nearby Miley heard and walked towards the piano, which was already surrounded by curious people. She made her way through it and realized she knew the song. She started mouthing it and a second later she saw Tyler nodding his head, as if saying that she should join in.

"_Laughing with your pretty mouth__  
__Laughing with your broken eyes__  
__Laughing with your lover's tongue__  
__In a lullaby_

_Where do you go when you're lonely__  
__Where do you go when you're blue__  
__Where do you go when you're lonely__  
__I'll follow you__  
__When the stars go blue__  
__The stars go blue, stars go blue_

_Follow you__  
__Follow you_

_When the stars go blue__  
__When the stars go blue__  
__When the stars go blue__  
__When the stars go blue_

_Where do you go when you're lonely?__  
__Where do you go when the stars go blue?"_

Everyone burst into a round of applause, Tyler and Lilly included.

"Oh, my, god! You're amazing!" Lilly exclaimed.

"You're an amazing singer," Tyler told Lilly with a smile.

Lilly laughed her typical sweet laugh. "And you're an amazing piano player."

"Thanks," he answered. Suddenly, a thought entered Lilly's mind.

"Wait!" she said. "Do you have a job?"

Tyler shook his head. "Me and my band are trying to get a record deal but at the moment, no."

Lilly smiled. "Well, in the meantime, I know this girl – she's great – she knows how to play but she wants a teacher. She's got plenty of money, so...you up for it?"

"Sure," the guy assured her. Lilly looked into her bag and found a piece of paper and a pen, she wrote down her number and the Stuart's address.

"There you go."

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

A few hours later Miley and Lilly were in the band's shed, trying on some new clothes that Selena had brought in and getting ready for practice.

Nick entered immediately and headed for Miley, accidentally not even acknowledging Selena, who was standing beside the pair.

"Oh!" Lilly suddenly spoke. "I forgot to tell you, I found you the most amazing piano teacher!"

Miley smiled widely and turned around to ask Lilly who it was but Nick beat her.

"Who?" he asked in a tone that didn't seem to enthusiastic.

"A great guy and pretty hot too!" Lilly told Miley with a witty smile.

"Seriously?" Miley asked in an exited tone.

Nick spoke again with the same dry tone. "What's his name?"

But there wasn't any time to answer for Jake suddenly entered the door, looking slightly annoyed.

"I'm sorry that I'm interrupting such a cute moment," Jake snapped, not sounding sorry at all and looking slightly angry. "But can we please practice!"

Miley glared at him as she put the clothes back where she had found them. "Cut the tone, Jake...are you angry about something?"

"Yes," Jake snapped again. "These meeting are to practice not to dress up."

"Fine," Lilly spoke. "Let's go."

They all positioned themselves over the platform and started singing. (I'm using a known song this time – Here I Go Again – Demi Lovato)

"_I __throw all of your stuff away__  
__Then I clear you out of my head__  
__I tear you out of my heart__  
__And ignore all your messages__  
__I tell everyone we are through__  
__Cause I'm so much better without you__  
__But it's just another pretty lie__  
__Cause I break down__  
__Everytime you come around__  
__O Oh O Oh_

_So how did you get here__  
__Under my skin?__  
__I swore that I'd never let you back in__  
__Should have known better__  
__Than trying to let you go__  
__Cause here we go go go again__  
__Hard as I try I know I can't quit__  
__Something about you__  
__Is so addictive__  
__We're falling together__  
__You'd think that by now I'd know__  
__Cause here we go go go again_

_You never know what you want__  
__And you never say what you mean__  
__But I start to go insane__  
__Everytime that you look at me__  
__You only hear half of what I say__  
__And you're always showing up too late__  
__And I know that I should say goodbye__  
__But it's no use__  
__Can't be with or without you__  
__O Oh O Oh_

_So how did you get here__  
__Under my skin?__  
__I swore that I'd never let you back in__  
__Should have known better__  
__Than trying to let you go__  
__Cause here we go go go again__  
__Hard as I try I know I can't quit__  
__Something about you__  
__Is so addictive__  
__We're falling together__  
__You'd think that by now I'd know__  
__Cause here we go go go again_

_Ohhh__  
__And Again (And Again)__  
__And Again (And Again)__  
__And Again_

_I threw all of your stuff away__  
__And I cleared you out of my head__  
__And I tore you out of my heart__  
__O Oh O Oh__  
__O Oh O Oh_

_So how did you get here__  
__Under my skin?__  
__I swore that I'd never let you back in__  
__Should have known better__  
__Than trying to let you go__  
__Cause here we go go go again__  
__Hard as I try I know I can't quit__  
__Something about you__  
__Is so addictive__  
__We're falling together__  
__You'd think that by now I'd know__  
__Cause here we go go go again__  
__(Here We Go Again)__  
__Here We Go Again__  
__Should have known better__  
__Than trying to let you go__  
__Cause here we go go go again__  
__Again (again) again and again and again__  
__And again and again and again and again__  
__and again and again and again and again and again"_

**_---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---_**

"Taylor, what is this about, you haven't let me work in the whole day...just say it." Joe insisted. He had spent the last half an hour in this room after a whole day of annoying calls from Taylor. Acording to her she had somethign important to tell him but he just wanted to get it over with and, if possible, break up with her after hearing what ever she had to say.

Taylor smirked slightly and bit her lip.

"Fine," she spoke proudly. "It seems that...you're going to be a daddy!"

* * *

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	8. C6 : The After Math

_**In the last Episode...**_

_"Taylor, what is this about, you haven't let me work in the whole day...just say it." Joe insisted. He had spent the last half an hour in this room after a whole day of annoying calls from Taylor. According to her she had something important to tell him but he just wanted to get it over with and, if possible, break up with her after hearing whatever she had to say._

_Taylor smirked slightly and bit her lip._

_"Fine," she spoke proudly. "It seems that...you're going to be a daddy!"_

**CHAPTER 6**

**THE AFTER MATH **

Joe suddenly felt like someone had punched him hardly in the gut. He could ask her to repeat but it would be pointless, he had heard her perfectly. Of course, he thought, something like this was bound to happen...he had been trying to leave her and something had to happen.

"Are you sure?" Joe asked seriously and without looking up at Taylor. "I thought you were on the pill!" he shot at her accusingly. "Besides, it's...it's been over two months since we slept together...I...wouldn't you have known earlier than this?"

"Well, at first I thought I was just a little late, it happens sometimes...but, lately I've been thinking that it's probably the other option," Taylor lied.

Joe looked up at her then, hope decorating his brown eyes. "So, you're not sure?" he asked enthusiastically.

"Not completely," Taylor spoke, sounding a little offended. "But I've got an appointment with a doctor in 10 days."

"10 days?" Joe asked, not believing this might be happening to him, Lilly had been right – he'd never be able to leave her, not if she was pregnant. "Isn't that just a little late, couldn't you go tomorrow and just find out?"

"Sweetheart, these things don't go like that, doctors can't just be there all the time...I thought you'd be happy about this," she added, faking a few tears and making Joe hug her awkwardly.

"I'm sorry," he told her. He had to be supportive but he couldn't do anything but picture all the life he wanted with Lilly fading away into the land of things that won't ever happen. "What about a pregnancy test?"

"I won't use such a thing – they aren't reliable, we'll just wait until the doctor tells us," Taylor insisted. Joe put his head in his hands and signed for a second before looking at Taylor again.

"This stays between us, okay Taylor? No one can hear apart this...you can't even tell your mother, please, wait until it's confirmed."

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Joe twisted and turned in his bed without being able to reach a peaceful sleep. He opened his eyes for the seventh time that night; he then looked at the alarm clock hoping to find it was time to get up: _2:01 am _– no such luck. He through his legs off the bed and sat up, standing and walking a second later.

"You scared me," Lilly's voice was heard as Joe entered the dark kitchen. He looked up and couldn't help but smile; Lilly was sitting on the counter, her long hair falling behind her back, an extremely large red t-shirt covering her body and a container of ice-cream in her delicate hands – she was a goddess.

"I'm sorry," he told her; he was fed up of saying sorry but he couldn't help it – he deserved to apologize.

"No problem, Mr. Freezer," she told him slowly and in a whisper as she sank her spoon into the ice-cream container, got some of it and put the spoon back in her mouth, savouring the lovely product for a second.

"What are you doing up?" he asked as he walked towards her. She shifted to the right, offering her a place on the counter. He got up on it hesitantly, he wasn't used to doing things like sitting on a kitchen counter...the counter was made for cooking not for people to put their arses on it; however, he also had to take into account that Greta cleaned the kitchen meticulously every morning before doing any cooking.

Lilly signed. "I couldn't get any sleep, it's like something's wrong...so, I beat myself up a few minutes, trying to figure out what it was and I finally gave up and came down her, grabbed a spoon and strawberry ice-cream. What's up with you, Mr. Freezer?"

Joe couldn't help but stifle a little laugh, leave it up to Lilly to know there was something wrong with him magically and subconsciously. "There _is _something wrong, Lilly," he told her. He should hate this whole thing but this moment was totally bittersweet, he couldn't help but love this conversation with Lilly; at this moment, he wasn't her boss and she wasn't his siblings' nanny, at this moment they weren't even in love...at this moment they were simply Lilly and Joe...okay, maybe Lilly and Mr. Freezer...but he didn't care anymore, she had the right to call him anything.

"What's she done to restrain you now?" the blonde asked, placing her hand on Joe's and looking him deeply into his brown eyes that were beautifully illuminated by the moonlight coming in through the window.

"It's not her fault this time," Joe told her, looking down at the ground. "Or maybe it is but I'm to blame too...I should've left her the first time you and me kissed – I should've confronted her and made it right before it's too late."

"Mr..." Lilly started but then she was quiet for a second and with great effort she took Joe's chin in her hand and made him look right at her. "Joe," she spoke in a low voice, making Joe look at her widely for using his real name. "What is it? You're worrying me."

Joe gulped and broke free from her embrace, getting of the counter immediately. Lilly did the same and stood right in front of him. "I'm sorry, I really really am sorry, Lilly, my Lilly..." he spoke more to himself than her as he caressed her cheek softly.

"Joe, you really are worrying me," Lilly stated in a very worried voice and fearful blue eyes.

"It's over, Lilly, this has to be over...I'm just hurting you and...You don't deserve that," he told her but, as she looked up at him, he could help but steal one last quick kiss.

"You're the one, you know that, right?" Lilly told him.

Joe nodded. "So are you...but sometimes it doesn't..."

Lilly put a single finger on his lips and went on her tiptoes, kissing him softly again. "I know, I know...whatever it is that has happened...there's always a light in the darkness, it's not always better than the darkness but...it helps get through it. I love you, Mr. Freezer."

"I love you too, my Lilly," he simply said before turning around and returning to his room.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

It was eleven in the morning and the whole household was up and making noise. Lilly and Greta were in the kitchen, the twins were doing who-knows- what in the garden, Nick and Joe were in his office, working, and Miley was playing around with Noah in her room.

The doorbell rang and Lilly, like always, ran to get it. She opened the door, revealing Tyler , who smiled at her.

"Oh, my god! You came!" she exclaimed as she hugged him quickly. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," he said, coming in. "It's a pleasure."

"I really am grateful that you took the job," Lilly told him as she leaded him to the couch, where both of them sat down. "Miley's really happy."

"Well, I couldn't say no, you seemed quite...what's the word...'keen' to find a piano teacher," he spoke. "By the way, what's your name? I didn't catch it the other day..."

"LIL!" Greta's voice was heard shouting. "Who was at the door?"

"Lil? Is it your real name or...?" he asked.

"No, it's Lilly...Lil is just my nickname," Lilly stated with a smile. Then, from the corner of her eye, she saw Miley descending the big staircase with Noah in her arms. "Miles, look who came!" Lilly exclaimed as she took Noah away from the sixteen-year-old.

Tyler got up and walked towards Miley. "Hi," he said simply.

"Hello, you must be my piano teacher?" Miley asked as she shook his hand with a blush and a shy smile on her face. Lilly was right, he _was _hot.

"Yes," Tyler smiled. "I'm Tyler and you're Miley, right?"

"Yep, that's me," Miley spoke again, this time without any blushing.

At that moment, Joe entered the room. "What's going on?" he asked. "I heard noises."

"Joe," Miley said happily. "This is Tyler, he's the piano teacher that Lilly found for me."

"Piano teacher?" Joe asked, sending a look at Lilly, who sent him a begging look back. "Aren't you a little young?"

"No, he isn't..." Lilly spoke. "Come on, Freeze...Joe."

And that did it, Lilly saying his name...he just couldn't help but nod.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Nick watched attentively as Miley received her piano lesson. That piano teacher was placing his hands on top of Miley's small and thin ones, telling her how to play properly and Nick couldn't help but not like it...he didn't know why but he didn't like this guy and he definitely did not like the look that Miley and him were sharing. The song finished and the guy, who was probably in his eighteens, got off the piano stool.

"How about you play something you know?" Tyler asked Miley kindly.

Miley looked up at him and smiled. "Something like what? Shubert? Beethoven?" she asked, running her fingers over the keys softly and distractedly.

"No," he stated. "Something that you like...that you can sing too, maybe. You up for it?"

Miley nodded enthusiastically, she shifted in the stood and turned to look straight at the piano.

"_Remember when, we never needed each other__  
__The best of friends like__  
__Sister and Brother__  
__We understood, we'd never be,__  
__Alone___

_Those days are gone, and I want you so much__  
__The night is long and I need your touch__  
__Don't know what to say," _Miley sang sweetly as she pressed the right keys, making a beautiful melody. Nick couldn't help but take his hand to his mouth and gasp slightly, just when he thought Miley couldn't sound any better, she had surprised him again. He subconsciously walked towards the piano, his eyes set on her and how unreal she looked at that moment, his mouth still clasped tightly over his thin lips. Then he saw how Tyler was looking at her too and she was looking at him through the reflection of the piano.

"I'm going to go and see Selena," he said more to himself than anybody else.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

An hour later Tyler was still in the house, the lesson had ended but he and Miley were talking; he was enjoying her company.

"I don't get how you can have a secret band..." he spoke after Miley had told him all about the group and how they kept it away from Joe.

Miley laughed. "It's such a mess," she confessed. "We're always all over the place...trying to hide, sneaking out...but if my brother finds out, we're all dead..." she stated as she gestured someone cutting her neck open. She then remembered something. "You know what? We're having a practice tonight...you know, sneaking out and putting pillows under the covers, why don't you come?"

Tyler took a second to think about it. "And, if instead of going to the band practice..." he spoke. "What if you and me go out to dinner or something?"

Miley bit her lip, she liked this guy but the band was the band, besides she really didn't want to mess up stuff further with Joe. "Well, I...tonight's the band practice and maybe you and me can go out another day, if...you know...things go well."

"Okay," Tyler said, a little surprised by the rejection. "Fine, we'll do that."

"So," Miley then spoke. "Will you come tonight? To the practice?"

"Sure, I'll be there."

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Nick walked down the kissing pathway and was surprised to see Joe standing next to a cafe.

"German!" Nick exclaimed as he made his way to were Joe was standing. "What are you doing here?"

Joe stiffened up immediately and went a little defensive. "What are _you _doing here?"

"What do you mean?" Nick said. "I've come to see Selena, you know, my girlfriend?"

"No, I, I was just – I wanted to see if I could talk to Lilly about something, it doesn't matter anymore..." he confessed.

"Why? What's wrong?" Nick asked, slightly worried.

Joe looked at Nick for a second, giving telling him the truth a think...Nick had been his best friend since he was 3 years old, when his parents died and Joe had just started studying in Germany, Nick had taken over the whole family until he came to his senses and came back home. Nick was his brother, he was his 'person' but he didn't want to distress him, not until it was completely certain that he was actually going to be a father.

"Nothing," Joe said quickly. "Did you see Miley while you were home? Did you see the piano lesson?"

Nick nodded. "Yeah, but I don't think this teachers appropriate. Far too young, in my opinion, I think she'd be better off with a professional...in his fifties minimum."

"I know," Joe agreed. "But she's playing, Nick, and she seems to like this guy – whatever the reason may be – so I'm gonna go along with it."

"You're her brother," Nick spoke a little drily and he had to admit he was kind of angry with Joe, since way did he let Miley choose?

"Yes, and her brother's got to go...I've got a meeting in half-an-hour...see you," Joe said.

"See you!"

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Nick walked into the shed and towards Selena, who was sitting on the improvised stage.

"Wow! Look who's here!" Selena exclaimed with false enthusiasm, obviously decorated with sarcasm. "What made you praise us with your presence, your majesty?"

"Oh, come on, Sel," Nick spoke kindly. "Don't be like that, I've been busy..."

"Well, the other day you weren't busy and you came in here and ignored me completely," Selena reproached. Nick caressed her cheek and kissed her hardly on the lips.

"I'm sorry," he said as he pulled back. "You think you can forgive me?"

In response, Selena kissed her back. Their lips crushed against each other and their tongue slipped into each other's mouth but they weren't exactly amazing together. Her mouth was small but her lips were slightly voluminous while his mouth _was _big and his lips were long and thin, the exact opposite of hers.

"Hey Guys!" Miley's enthusiastic voice shouted as she came into the shed, followed by the rest of the band members and Tyler, who's hand she was holding as she pushed him in. Selena and Nick pulled apart at the sound of the noise and Nick couldn't help but ask why the hell that guy was here too.

"Tyler's coming to see us tonight, okay?" she asked everyone. There was a few 'cool's and 'good's.

"It's a closed practice," suddenly a voice said. Everyone turned to look at Jake immediately.

"Well, if it is, then..." Tyler then said.

"No!" Miley exclaimed. "No it isn't...you're coming."

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Tyler was now talking to Charlotte, Drum and the twins about something so Miley moved away from him and walked towards Jake, who was setting up some equipment for tonight.

"Jake, what was that?" Miley asked as she reached him.

"What was what?" Jake asked incredulously as he turned to look at Miley.

"Why did you say it was a closed practice when it wasn't? Tyler can give us tips...he's a very good musician, his group will most probably be getting a record deal soon...who knows, if we're lucky, he might even let us open for them in some occasion," Miley told him.

Jake made a noise that could only be explained like a sigh mixed with disgust. "I don't want to open for someone just because you're sleeping with them."

At that point Miley had to fight herself not to hit him, she knew he didn't mean it and she knew that he was aware that she was not that kind of girl, they'd dated, hadn't they? But he had no right. "How...dare...you?" she spat at him angrily. "I'm not dating him, and you know I', not that kind of girl. Besides, I know just why you're acting like this and you have no right to be jealous! I told you I loved you and you pushed me away, Jake!"

"You're right, I want you away!", he shouted at her before walking off.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Nick was gazing at Miley once again, why was she talking to Jake? Had they not broken up? He was confused as to what this girl kept on doing but he knew for a fact that he wasn't liking it one bit, she was only getting herself into more trouble than she needed.

"Nick, I'm here!" Selena told him when she realized he wasn0t listening to her, let alone looking at her.

Nick snapped out of his trance quickly and looked at Selena. "I'm sorry...I'm gonna get going, okay Selena? I need to...well, I'm going."

"Fine," Selena spoke a little stubbornly giving him a light kiss. "See you."

"See you."

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"Have you seen, Noah?" Lilly asked Nick as she came into the room. Nick, who was standing over the piano, distracted and invaded by his own thoughts, turned around.

"Noah? Umm...her bedroom, I think...she said something about a Barbie having a baby and needing Kent to drive her over to the hospital," Nick answered absently.

Lilly looked at him for a second, analysing his attitude. "Are you okay?" she asked, making Nick come back from his thoughts.

"Me?" he asked. "Yes," he smiled, completely back to his normal self now. "I'm great...it's just, something really weird happened to me a few days ago."

"What?" asked Lilly, intrigued.

"Well, I...I saw Miley playing the piano," he spoke, moving his fingers in front of him as if playing an invisible piano, suddenly he took his hands to his chest. "And something happened...I...I felt something flutter inside of me...something extremely weird."

Lilly was looking at him, her eyebrow raised and a strange feeling in her gut.

After a small silence Nick spoke again. "She's grown, hasn't she?" Nick asked making Lilly more comfortable all of a sudden.

"Yes, completely," Lilly exclaimed with delight. "I've noticed too. They're all looking so big...the twins...when they came back from that basketball camp...they've grown so much and Noah...it's like she grows every night..."

"Yeah," Nick said, not looking convince. "But, it's...it's different with Miles, she's just grown so much and so quickly she just...look older..."

Nick had an absent smile on his face, and Lilly could tell he was picturing Miley and then, the feeling in her gut appeared again. "No..." she whispered. "No!" she then exclaimed louder, causing Nick to look at her, confused. "You're having feeling for Miley!" Lilly exclaimed, causing Nick to look at her with bewilderment, how the hell had she reached that conclusion?

"Are you mad? Lilly, no! Of course, not..." Nick tried to make her listen.

"I can't believe you, this is - " Lilly started muttering to herself but Nick shushed her quickly.

"No! Please Lilly, I've known her since she was born..."Nick stated clearly. "Besides, I'm going out with Selena, you know that..."

Lilly looked at him with doubt. "Okay, I'm sorry, it just...seemed...the way you were talking. I guess I've been daydreaming far too much, you're right, it's mental. I'm sorry," she apologized one last time before leaving.

"Yes," nick spoke to himself absently one again. "That's completely mental..."

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

It was past 10 pm and everyone was getting ready for the late practice.

Nick couldn't help but continue looking at Miley, who was getting help from Lilly to prepare her mike. She looked gorgeous...her dark locks cascaded freely down her back, letting her beautiful blue eyes stand out without any hair in the way. She was wearing a knee-length beige skirt that moved gently each time she made a movement and that showed off her toned legs. She was also wearing a tight red top that matched her auburn hair in a way that was almost magical and she stood on a pair of red peep toes that made her look even older than she already looked.

"Nick, what the hell are you looking at so much?" Selena asked him, irritated. It was like he had eyes for everything but her lately.

"I...I'm just...nervous...you guys are just contagious, I can't wait until the practice begins!" Nick lied.

Selena raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"Guys, come on!" Jake shouted, making everyone take their places on the stage, and so...the music began. _(This time it's a Miley Cyrus song...party in the USA)_

"_I hopped off the plane at LAX_

_With a dream and my cardigan_

_Welcome to the land of fame excess,_

_Am I gonna fit in?_

_Jumped in the cab,_

_Here I am for the first time_

_Look to the right and I see the Hollywood sign_

_This is all so crazy_

_Everybody seems so famous_

_My tummy's turning and I'm feeling kind of home sick_

_Too much pressure and I'm nervous,_

_That's when the taxi man turned on the radio_

_And a Jay Z song was on_

_And the Jay Z song was on_

_And the Jay Z song was on_

_CHORUS:_

_So I put my hands up_

_They're playing my song,_

_And the butterflies fly away_

_Nodding' my head like yea_

_Moving my hips like yea_

_I got my hands up,_

_They're playing my song_

_I know I'm gonna be ok_

_Yea, It's a party in the USA_

_Yea, it's a party in the USA" Lilly sang with Jake and Miley as they all dance to the rhythm. _

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Meanwhile, Joe walked into Miley's room, supposing she still wasn't asleep; however, he was surprised by its darkness. He decided to get out quickly but he then realized her window was open. He slowly made his way to the source of air and, trying not to make noise he shut it close; however, a strong wind blew and it shut on its own with a loud bang.

"I'm sorry, Mil..." but he didn't finish his sentence as he turned around and realized that the wind had moved Miley's cover, revealing a big white pillow. "I can't believe this!" he shouted at himself as he then walked to the twin's bedroom, only to find they weren't there either. He was about to check on Lilly when he realized she had the night off so she wouldn't be at home...he checked on Noah quickly, happy to see she was sleeping peacefully in bed and grabbed the car keys, running for the car and heading to the only place he thought they might be.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Tyler entered the shed and smiled as he heard the music...Miley spotted him and waved to him, 'causing both Jake and Nick to turn to look at their unwanted (at least by them) visitor. He walked in, smiling at Miley the whole way and sat down in between Demi, who Miley had invited and Nick, who glared at him. He didn't notice though, he was too busy looking at how amazing Miley looked.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Joe stopped the car in front of the shed he knew Lilly's friends own and as he got out a thousand thought run through his mind. The music could be heard from out there and for a second he could swear he heard Miley's voice singing...he quickly took a hand to his head.

"I really hope this isn't what I'm thinking it is," he said to himself.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Oh, Oh!**

**This doesn't look good.**

**Sorry for there not being too much Niley interaction**

**There will be in the next, I promise.**

**So, we're nearly on the 100's review.**

**Let's see if we get there....**

**There might be a little present (kinda present)**

**For the review 100**

**So...**

**REVIEW!!**


	9. C7 : Is Caring, Just Caring?

_AN: Sorry for the lack of updates. I'm in a new school and I have loads of exams and I have to concentrate if I really want to get to college so...Anyway, here is the next chapter hope you enjoy it. _

_**In the last Episode...**_

_Joe stopped the car in front of the shed he knew Lilly's friends owned and as he got out a thousand thought run through his mind. The music could be heard from out there and for a second he could swear he heard Miley's voice singing...he quickly took a hand to his head._

"_I really hope this isn't what I'm thinking it is," he said to himself._

**CHAPTER 6**

**IS CARING, JUST CARING? **

Joe walked towards the shed quickly, anger taking hold of him. He looked messy, his shirt not tucked it and his hair tussled; after all, it was eleven ó clock.

He walked a little more until he found himself banging into someone. He looked up; ready to apologize immediately, when he saw it was Demi Monroe, Miley's best friend since kindergarten.

"Demi?" Joe asked, getting even angrier and taking the girl's presence as an indication that Miley and the twins were, in fact singing.

"Joe!" Demi squealed nervously. "What are you doing here?"

Joe frowned. "What are _you _doing here? I didn't know you knew the band members..."

"Yes, well, I...Me and Miley came to see the practice but we were thrown out; it's a closed practice, you see?" The girl explained nervously, trying to avoid eye contact.

"And where's Miley? I'm pretty sure I just heard her voice come..." Joe asked her with a raised eyebrow.

_---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---_

Inside, Nick decided he was fed up of seeing Miley and Tyler shoot flirty looks at each and he stood up, walking towards the nearest source of air.

However, as he opened the door, he didn't expect to find Joe standing there, taking to Demi.

He turned around quickly and turned the background track off. "Everybody hide! Joe's here!" he shouted, loud enough for them to here but not loud enough for Joe to hear too.

Everyone looked at each other and started running from one side to another. Nick turned around, towards Joe so that he could distract him, as Miley took Tyler's hand and leaded him to the 2nd floor of the shed; however, not before receiving a death glare from Jake.

_---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---_

"German! What are you doing here?" Nick asked loudly as he walked towards Joe, carefully keeping a straight face and not giving anything away.

"Miley and the twins aren't home, I went to look in their beds and they had disappeared and...I...I could swear that I just heard Miley's voice coming out of that shed..." he told his friend as he took another step towards the shed.

Nick went in front of him and faked a laugh. "Miley? Singing? In here? German, you're losing hearing capacity...Miley was here a few minutes ago but she left....And, the twins, well, they came too but they left with some friend, they should be at home before twelve."

"Before twelve?" Joe exclaimed. "And, you let Miley walk home alone? At this time in the night?"

Nick gulped at the idea. "Yes, well, she left so suddenly....she'll probably be home pretty soon...you know what? I'm going to walk home too so I'll catch up with her...she can't be far."

"But I..." Joe tried as he moved forward again. Nick continued blocking him.

"It's late, Joe, you're tired...have this argument tomorrow, okay? Go to bed," Nick insisted. Joe looked at his friend for a second; Nick was his 'person', right? He could trust him...

"You're right, Nico...can you please make sure they all get home? I'm just gonna go straight into bed."

Nick smiled. "Sure thing, German, good night..."

_---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---_

"You know, I can't believe you're brother is like this..." Tyler told Miley in a whisper.

The two of them were in the corner of the mezzanine, hiding close together.

"Yes, I know," Miley smiled. "He acts like he's ancient...If he heard I was in band, he'd kill me and, he'd even fire you..."

"Me?" Tyler laughed. "Well, then we better stay here a while longer." He spoke with a flirty tone. Miley smiled, and shuffled even closer to him. They looked at each other for a second and Miley smiled even wider.

"Joe's gone!" Jake's angry voice came suddenly. The broke their gaze and looked at him, standing up quickly. "So, you can go..." Jake spoke even more drily, jealousy burning up in his veins.

"You can go too..." Tyler came up with a comeback.

"Wait a second, you..."

Miley, sensing a fight would soon come their way, stepped in between them.

"Wait! Wait! Quit the fighting...it's late and I have to get home." Miley expressed.

"Fine," Jake accepted. "I'll take you," he offered.

"No," Tyler said. "_I'll _take her."

And, before any fight could come, Nick's voice was heard calling Miley's name. Miley knew that the twins and Miley had left while Nick was distracting Joe but she wanted him to think that she had left too...he'd rather not here any kind of sermon, and she knew she might if Nick caught her up here with Tyler. Miley looked at Jake, begging eyes telling him to not tell Nick she was here, of course, he did just the opposite.

"Up here!" Jake shouted.

Miley glared at Jake and he simply smiled knowingly at her. Nick made his way up and stopped abruptly when he saw the three of them standing there, he breathed in.

"What are the three of you doing up here?" He asked angrily. Miley turned to look straight at him and put an innocent smile on her face. He ignored the smile and turned to look at Miley.

"Miley..." he reproached.

She rolled her eyes. "I need to speak to Jake, for a sec...Is that okay?" she asked both Nick and Tyler. They both looked at her for a second and hesitantly nodded.

_---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---_

"Why did you have to say anything?" Miley asked Jake harshly.

He rolled his eyes at her anger. "Why I said something?" he asked rhetorically. "I said something because Nick was looking for you and he sounded quite worried...besides, aren't you a little old to be playing hide and seek?"

"Oh! So now I'm a little "old"...wasn't I a little "young"? Make up your mind, Jake!" she shouted at him angrily. He was confusing her and, seriously, she didn't care about him enough to stand it.

"Yes, for some things you _are _a little too young. Anyway, I thought we weren't going back this..." he stated.

_---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---_

Meanwhile, Nick caught up with Tyler.

"Do you want to continue being Miley's piano teacher?" he asked him angrily. Tyler turned around and looked straight at Nick, confused.

He nodded. "Yes, of course I do."

"Well, then wake up..." Nick snapped at him.

"Wake up?" Tyler asked, even more confused. "Do you have any problem with my classes?"

"I'm not talking about any classes; the only thing I'm saying is that _you _can't be up there with the girl, okay?" He told him strictly. Nick didn't really know why he was feeling so protective over Miley all of a sudden but, she didn't need any more troubles and getting involved with her teacher was definitely something he wasn't going to accept her doing.

"Okay," Tyler said, raising an eyebrow. After a few second his expression changed into one of understanding. "Yeah, you're right; I don't have a lot of experience so...well."

A moment later, Miley came down the stairs, a frown decorating her face.

"Tyler, can you take me home?" she asked him as she put her loose hair in a messy bun.

Tyler turned from her to Nick and then back. "I'm sorry," he spoke, making Miley confused; hadn't he offered to take her only a few minutes ago?

"Bye Miley, I'll see you in the next lesson," Tyler told her before leaving quickly.

Miley didn't take long to realize that Nick had most probably said something to him. She walked down the stairs completely and confronted the man.

"Okay, what did you say to him to make him leave like that?" she asked harshly, but Nick's expression remained completely neutral.

"I just made some thing clear to him, that's all," Nick stated, not daring to look up at Miley, making her even angrier.

Miley stood right in front of him and punched him lightly on the chest. "Can you stop interfering in my life like everybody else?"

"Don't be unfair, Miley, I've just saved your ass from a really bad argument with your brother...I think I don't deserve to be treated like this, don't you?"

Then, seeing him like that, made Miley simply melt. He was only looking after her, after all.

"You're right, Nick, I'm sorry..." she confessed as she wrapped her arms around him tightly and he covered her with his embrace.

_---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---_

Nick opened the door to the Stuart house and entered, followed by Miley. He could see everyone was probably asleep but all the bedrooms were on the top floor so he was free to turn the lights on and talk normally.

"It's late, go to bed, and don't do anything stupid, okay?" Nick told Miley with a playful smile on his face.

Miley laughed and grabbed the pole from the huge staircase, spun herself around it and ended up on the second step, looking directly into Nick's chocolate eyes.

"Why don't you come upstairs and tell me a bed night story too, old-wise-man..." she joked with a giggle.

"Don't laugh at me," he warned her, laughing too. "You just got away from being really badly punished, Miles. Imagine what would've happened if Joe had found out?" he told her, the conversation turning serious now.

"You would've been hung off a really high tree," Miley told him, all humour put away.

Nick's expression turned even more serious then and he took Miley's hands in his. "You have to be careful, Miles. You can't just throw yourself at anyone, you don't know who that guy is or what he's like, I know you're at an age where that barely matters but you need to control yourself."

"I know," Miley confessed, her voice breaking a little. "But they're older, Jake and Tyler are and...They're the only ones who seem to understand that I'm not ten years old. I've grown up, Nick, but everybody fails to notice."

"That's not true," Nick assured her. "I've noticed."

There was a small silence as Miley blushed a little.

"But, you're still not as old as it gets and...You need to look after yourself, Mi; it's important." He told her as he caressed her cheek softly and attentively. "Love always makes you suffer, and too much suffering when you're young, makes you miserable."

"Like Joe?" Miley asked, biting her lip.

"No, Joe...Joe doesn't even know what's going on with himself. Well, come on, go to bed, it's late. We'll leave the bed night story for..." And he stopped talking and looked at her for a second, looked at how wise her eyes looked. "We'll leave it for...another life."

She gulped a little as she realized what he was saying...he was admitting that she wasn't a kid anymore, she'd never be a kid again.

He leaned in and kissed her softly on the cheek before heading to the door. He waved at her and she waved back absently as he turned off the light and closed the huge white door behind him.

She stared at the place where he'd left and smiled to herself, taking a hand to the nape of her neck.

She then opened her mouth slowly and whispered into the night: "He's amazing..."

**Hope you liked it**

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**And tell me what you liked and didn't like**

**It's important...**

**So, please,**

**REVIEW!!**


	10. C8 : Feelings Keep Bleeding Out

_A/N: I know it's been ages and ages and more ages and I'm sooooo sorry but I have simply been sooo busy…I'm sure fellow writers get what I'm going at. But, I'll stop wasting time and get to it. Hope you enjoy and please do remember that the nominations for the NJK awards are on again. That means the Fic of the week is on too and you can pm jonasfan101 and tell her what stories should be nominated for each category. Please participate...everyone puts a lot of effort into these awards._

_**In the last episode:**_

"_But, you're still not as old as it gets and...You need to look after yourself, Mi; it's important." He told her as he caressed her cheek softly and attentively. "Love always makes you suffer, and too much suffering when you're young, makes you miserable."_

"_Like Joe?" Miley asked, biting her lip._

"_No, Joe...Joe doesn't even know what's going on with himself. Well, come on, go to bed, it's late. We'll leave the bed night story for..." And he stopped talking and looked at her for a second, looked at how wise her eyes looked. "We'll leave it for...another life."_

_She gulped a little as she realized what he was saying...he was admitting that she wasn't a kid anymore, she'd never be a kid again._

_He leaned in and kissed her softly on the cheek before heading to the door. He waved at her and she waved back absently as he turned off the light and closed the huge white door behind him._

_She stared at the place where he'd left and smiled to herself, taking a hand to the nape of her neck._

_She then opened her mouth slowly and whispered into the night: "He's amazing..."_

**CHAPTER 7**

**Feelings Keep Bleeding Out**

The grey household awoke to a beautiful day but they knew it wouldn't be one for them. Joe hadn't stayed up to shout at them last night but they all knew that he would definitely shout today and, most likely, during breakfast.

"Is the ogre up yet?" Miley Stuart spoke in a jokey tone as she walked into the kitchen, which was already crowded by her three younger siblings, Lilly, Greta and a lot of food.

"Miley!" Lilly told her off. "Take whatever he gives you without answering back and don't you dare make a joke out of it...or _all _of us will be darned because of your attitude."

Miley rolled her eyes. "Okay..."

"Good morning," Joe's serious voice came. They all stood still, far too afraid to even consider breathing in his presence.

Joe walked into the kitchen and placed himself on the high table, opposite Miley and the twins.

"What you did last night was irresponsible and a terrible way to behave. I never said you could go to that practice, I never said you could arrive home late and I never said you could do anything without my permission. Dad and mum aren't here so I'm in charge and you, none of you, can go out as you please...we have rules and, believe it or not, they are for your safety. Last night was the last I will ever find your bed's empty when I think you're in them, is that understood?" he shouted at them.

They simply nodded.

"Fine, then, we shall not speak about this again," he spoke clearly before sitting down.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Nick was sitting on a bench, in his grey suit and with Selena on his lap as they kissed.

"It's so great that you came to see me before work," Selena told him with a smile before stealing another kiss.

Nick smiled against her lips. "Yes, well, we didn't really manage to spend a lot of time together last night, did we?"

Something decorated his voice as he spoke about the previous night and Selena realized it but she didn't want to be noisy, nor did she want to seem controlling.

The leaned into each other again when a strong cough was heard to their right. They break apart and turn their heads to find Miley, Cody and Zach standing there, in their school uniforms which consisted on a white polo shirt with a badge and blue shirt and trousers.

"Hi," Miley spoke drily, feeling something horrible take over her body. She couldn't place it but she could completely realize that her friend Selena was starting to go down in her ranking of BFF's. What was Nick doing with a girl like Selena? A girl who had left school at sixteen and who was working at a specialised clothes store that had no future; she was pretty, yes, but what could Nick possibly see in her that was attractive enough to date her?

"Hey, Miles," Charlotte said, coming out of the shed and hugging Miley, who still had her eyes set on the couple sitting on the bench. "On your way to school?"

The question as directed to Miley but Zach answered. "Yes," he said with a flirtatious edge to his voice. "How about you?"

"I've got free period first thing so I don't have to make it there until nine," she informed the three of them.

Cody looked at his watch and turned to look at Miley, who still hadn't stopped looking at Nick and Selena.

"It's getting late, Miley," the 14-year-old blonde said.

"Yes, you're right," Zach agreed.

Nick looked up and met Miley's strong glare for the first time. "Will we see you at home later?" she asked him.

Selena did a double take and glared at Miley. What the hell was this kid doing?

"Y-yes, I guess," Nick answered.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"So, there was four super cute guys, fighting for me...fighting to just be able to see me..." Demi described a dream she had the previous night as she made her way into Miley's bedroom. "And they were all so hot...seriously..."

"And what happened?" Miley asked with a laugh. Lying down on her bed as she looked at Demi walk around her room with a pillow held to her chest and a daydream smile on her face.

Demi suddenly stopped walking and frowned. "Well, for your information, you passed in front and they all forgot about me."

Miley laughed and threw another cushion at Demi, who laughed with her. Her best friend wasn't ugly, not at all. She had an amazing figure, gorgeous eyes and the most sexy lips but she wasn't the kind of girl who guys went for because, no matter how fit she was...she always wore clothes that made her look more fat than thin and she always washed her hair and let it down without straightening it or curling it...and, trust me, newly washed frizzy hair is not a pretty site and, to make things worse, unless you had spent years with her, hearing her speak for more than two minutes was always something to run away from.

_---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---_

When Joe opened the door to his house he seriously wanted to scream. The whole living room was infected by little six-year-olds running around and his blonde fiancé was in the middle of the room, wearing some kind of clown hat and faking a pretty obvious false smile.

"What the..." Nick's voice came from behind.

Joe took a step forward. "Taylor, what the hell is this? Who are these kids?"

Taylor looked up with wide eyes and her fake smile became even faker. "Well, honey, Noah came from school and she felt lonely so I invited her friends over..."

Joe had to roll his eyes. "Since when do you care if Noah feels lonely?" He knew it sounder extremely mean but it was honest.

"Joe," Taylor speaks in a Barbie voice. "Come on, I'm having a kid of my own...it's normal that I..." But Joe put a hand over her mouth and looked around to make sure no one had heard. The only other adult in the room was Nick and he was already going up the stairs, probably to go to the toilet.

"I thought you weren't sure, I thought..." Joe whispered, still covering her mouth. "Did the doctor tell you...? Did you take a test?"

Taylor took Joe's hand of her mouth. "I told you I wasn't going to take a test, Joe. And, no, I haven't gone to the doctor but I can feel it, okay...We're having a baby, Joe..."

"You don't know that for sure, it could be anything else..." Joe snapped far too quickly.

Taylor gulped. "I think I can differentiate an illness from a baby in my own body, Joseph. And you don't know how much it hurts me that you don't..." she spoke in a faked broken voice before breaking down in false tears.

Joe sighed. "I'm sorry, Taylor," he apologizes. "Look, where's Lilly, I'm sure she can solve this and you can lie down and rest."

"Cinderella's gone out with that guy from your office...he came and I said she could go," she spoke, testing him.

He tensed. "It's not her free day," he said threw his gritted teeth.

"I can handle this, why do you always need her?"

And he simply didn't have an honest answer that he could give his fiancé but, contrary to what some might think, he had thousands of answers in his head.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

_**Knock, Knock, Knock**_

"Seriously, can't anyone in his house give me any peace," Miley moaned before getting off her bed and opening the door.

However, her frown turned into a smile as soon as she opened the door and found Nick standing there.

"Hey," she said in a sweet voice, completely forgetting how angry she had been that morning.

"Hi," he greets with a charming smile.

"You want to come in?" Demi asks from behind, where she was sitting in a yellow armchair. It wasn't a strange thing for the adults to spend some times with Maia and Demi when they were both at home. Lilly was obviously was the one who did it more often but Nick and Joe had spent the whole evening with them

Nick looked at the two teenagers but hesitantly declines the offer. "No, I've got work to do; I just came up here to advise you to not go downstairs..."

"Why?" Miley asked with a big grin on her face; a grin that got even bigger when Nick looked directly into her blue eyes.

He chuckled. "Well, I think Taylor wanted to look good in front of Joe or something and she invited every single one of Noah's friends over. It's like a rebellion of 5-year-old monsters. So..." Nick was cut off as he realized how deeply his eyes were engaged with Miley's...he tried to look away but he found himself stuck there. "W-well, so...you know...if you find one...hide."

He chuckled nervously as Demi and Miley laughed. He heard Joe call him from downstairs and found it in him to look away from Miley's breathtaking blue eyes.

"Bye, then," he said quickly before leaving.

"Bye," Demi spoke cheerfully before returning to the armchair she had been sitting at; however, Miley remained still, clearly looking straight at the place where Nick had just been a second before.

"Mi!" Demi spoke, noticing the absent stare of her best friend. "Mi! Where are you at? You thinking about Jake?"

Miley paid no attention so Demi stood up and clicked her fingers in front of the brunettes face.

"Miles?"

Miley did a double take. "W-what?"

"No-No...what Jake? No, I'm not thinking about Jake..." Miley replied, still sounding a little absent.

"Oh! Of course!" Demi exclaimed. "You're thinking about Tyler, aren't you? Of course, you are! How could you not be? He's just so bloody hot..."

"No, no!" Miley made clear. "It's not Jake...or Tyler..."

"OMG! It's someone from school, isn't it? It's probably the..."

"Shut up, Demi!" Miley shouted. "Stop talking and let me explain."

Demi shut up quickly. Miley calmed down again and stared down at the ground.

"It's Nick..." she whispered, barely audibly.

"Nick? Nick, as in? Nick Grey!" Demi shouted in complete awe. "You were thinking about _Nick_? Girl, are you crazy?"

Miley bit her lip. "It is crazy, isn't it?

Demi was pensive for a moment and then stood up, smiling. "Well," she said with a cheeky smile. "He _is _pretty hot."

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Miley was walking down the stairs of the mansion when her cell phone started ringing in her pocket. She picked it up and answered quickly.

"Hello?" she spoke.

"Miley, it's Jake..." Jake Ryan said in a voice that worried Maia.

"Jake, are you okay?" Miley asked him as she continued descending the stairs, now quicker.

"Can you come by?" his voice asked in response.

"Yes, I'm right there..."

Miley grabbed a jacket and started opening the door when a voice interrupted her.

"What the hurry?" Nick's melodic voice said. "Where are you going?"

Miley turned around and bit her lip. She stepped towards Nick a little and stopped when only a metre or so was separating them.

"I'm gonna see Jake," Miley answered honestly. "He called me and he sounds a little down..."

But it seemed that Nick had not heard a word past "Jake". "Are you gonna see Jake or your piano teacher?" He asked her coolly.

Miley raised her eyebrows at him and nearly chuckled, since when did Nick act so protectively? "Oh, my, god...since when did you get so protective...you're nearly like Joe, now!"

Now it was Nick's turn to raise his eyebrows. And give Miley a look that clear said "what?-Me?"

"Hey, did anyone say my name?" Joe asked, coming out from his office with a coffee in his right hand.

"Umm..." Miley muttered biting her lip. "I was just telling Nicky that I'm going to hang around with the girls at the shed."

Nick glared at Miley but she ignored him.

"Nicky?" Joe repeated with a chuckled, surprised at his best friend's new nickname. "Okay, _you_," he spoke, looking at Miley. "Have to be back in an hour."

Miley smirked at him. "Yes, sir," she shouted in a military tone before leaving.

As soon as Miley had left, Nick turned to Joe. "Can I suggest something? I mean, I don't want to interfere or anything but...what is she doing? Going out all the time...I mean, doesn't she have to study or something?"

Joe laughed at his friend. "Be really careful, Nico, or you're gonna end up with the 'grumpy German' reputation that I've got.

"Hey, hey, hey," nick spoke, raising his hands defensibly. "I am no Grumpy German."

Joe chuckled again. "I never said that," he said as he started heading back into his office. "But, if you're so worried, go and follow her...see what she does."

"What? How am I...I can't follow her...Don't be...Look! I'm just gonna go to work...see you later." Nick mumbled before leaving.

And Joe loved that he had a partner in crime to control Miley, he always knew that, in the end, Nick would be another brother to all of his siblings...so, Joe simply smiled.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Miley was sitting behind the counter of the bar that Jake worked at. They were both sitting opposite each other, their hands intertwined between them.

"Your call got me by surprise, I thought you wanted nothing to do with me...I mean...yesterday..." Miley mumbled.

Jake smiled. "I'm sorry about yesterday, I'm sorry about everything...I just wanna fix things. So," Jake changed the topic. "What's going on with this pianist guy?"

Miley grinned. "Tyler? He's really sweet," she confessed. "And you should see how amazing he is at playing the piano...it's just fantastic. Oh! And he sings like an angel."

"Wow...that's cool," Jake accepted. "But, anyways, I don't think he's that amazing at everything."

"Really?" Miley asked. "What is it he's not amazing at?"

And, before Miley could even recall what was going on, Jake whispered: "This..." And kissed her like there was no tomorrow.

His lips crashed against hers brutally, working together robotically. The kiss continued but at one point Miley opened her eyes and, as soon as she saw who was staring at them from the other side of the street, she pulled away.

**Well,**

**I do know that it's been ages.**

**An, I am, of course, very sorry.**

**It's just, you know, life**

**But, it would be great if you could tell me what you thought about this chapter.**

**Just, please, tell me what you liked and disliked.**

**It means a lot to me.**


	11. C9 : Nervousness Is Prohibitted

_A/N: Hey guys. Here is the next chapter...I hope you will be satisfied. Thanks to whoever nominated my stories fir the njK awards and, please, REMEMBER TO VOTE. Anyways, please excuse any spelling or grammar mistakes in this chapter because I'm using a strange and new keyboard (silicon – yeah, like, flexible) and I might miss out more than a few letters...I'll try to proof read but I normally can't because I'm too busy. Well, enjoy : Someone spotted that I've sometimes made the mistake of calling Miley 'Maia'...this is the girl's name in the show that this is based on and, to make it more realistic and better, while I'm writing I tend to think a lot about the TV show...I' m sorry if you got confused. I'll try to change it ASAP and not do it again._

_**In the last Episode:**_

Miley grinned. "Tyler? He's really sweet," she confessed. "And you should see how amazing he is at playing the piano...it's just fantastic. Oh! And he sings like an angel."

"Wow...that's cool," Jake accepted. "But, anyways, I don't think he's that amazing at everything."

"Really?" Miley asked. "What is it he's not amazing at?"

And, before Miley could even recall what was going on, Jake whispered: "This..." And kissed her like there was no tomorrow.

His lips crashed against hers brutally, working together robotically. The kiss continued but at one point Miley opened her eyes and, as soon as she saw who was staring at them from the other side of the street, she pulled away.

**CHAPTER 9**

**NERVOSNESS IS PROHIBITTED **

He had never really felt so low before, not when h had to leave his home when he was ten, not when his high-school girlfriend left him for the school jock, not even when he lost his first job and he nearly had a crisis at eighteen. Yes, Nick Grey had never really felt this way before, and the worst thing was, he didn't even know why.

He stood still looking at her kissing that blonde idiot, or more like letting the blonde idiot try and suck her face off. That was when her eyes opened and she looked left; that as when their sights met and he sighed and turned around the second after, too early to see her pull away.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Miley pulled away quickly, feeling a strange sense of guilt take over her.

Jake raised his eyebrow. "What's wrong?" He asked. "I thought you wanted this..."

Miley breathed in and took a hand to her forehead. "I-I'm sorry, Jake. I-I'm just con-confused," she explained sounding dizzy.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Nick went into the Stuart Mansion feeling like he would break pretty easily. His arms clinging to his sides like they had no will or power o move anymore, a frown decorating his pale face and his curly hair looking less lively than ever.

"Nicholas!" Taylor's squeaky voice rang in his ears. Nick looked up only to find the living room filled with all kinds of modern clothes.

"Taylor," Nick spoke seriously. He didn't normally address the woman directly or voice out his opinion about her to Joe or anyone else for that matter but she had caught him at his worst, at least his worst up to now. "Yesterday, it was the kids and today it's clothes, what are you playing at?"

"This wasn't her, Nico," Joe's voice rang above all the rest. Nick looked up and found his best friend staring at the far end of the room, where Pablo Cicaronni and Lilly where talking in between the clothes stalls. Nick looked around, confused. Joe understood. "_Pablo_," he said, with a clear edge to his voice. "Has decided he wants the company to promote a catwalk here in New York. He says he's seen it through and that it's an excellent way to promote and win money, but he said he needs _Lillian's _opinion for it and Taylor's also helping out.

At that moment, the door opened and an also down Miley came in. However, as soon as she saw the clothes the frown disappeared and her eyes went wide, making her start jumping around the living room energetically.

"Oh, my, god! Oh, god...this is so cool. Is this for a cat walk? Can I participate...please, can I?" she started shooting at Joe, who rolled his eyes dismissively.

He turned to look straight at his sister and he breathed in with a fake smile on his face. "No. Way. In. Hell."

Miley pouted and looked around her to find some ally. She saw that Lilly was too far away so she went straight to Nick, went on the second step of the staircase so that they were on the same level and wrapped her arms around him.

"Please Nick, convince him?" she begged with a puppy face. Nick couldn't help but smile and chuckle.

"I'll see what I can do," he laughed.

Joe sighed...it seemed, after all, he had no partner in crime when it came to Miley.

Miley smiled widely and gave Nick and strong kiss on the cheek. However, no matter how many times she had done the same thing before, now it felt different, it felt so different. She pulled back and they caught each other's eyes only to look away quickly and have Miley run up the stairs and Nick basically jump back.

Luckily, Joe had been too busy dying of jealousy as he looked at Lilly laugh at something that Cicaronni had said to notice anything.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"So, then Mariana walked up to Juan Felipe and they kiss passionately and I'm melting as I look into the TV and he's just so…" Demi, who had come along and had been telling Miley about her favourite Mexican TV show, stopped abruptly. "You're not listening to me, Mi."

Miley looked up absently from her bed and shook her head. "I'm sorry Dem...I'm just...oh god..."

"Wait, wait..." Demi said, standing up and sitting on the bed with her best friend. "What's up?"

Miley bit her lip and spoke hesitantly. "Today Jake kissed me," she confessed.

Demi's eyes went wide, "Are you serious? Oh my god! Are you guys like back together now?"

"No," Miley answered, receiving a raised eyebrow form Demi. "Because...when we were kissing I saw Nick looking at us and...I kind of runaway..." she confessed.

"Oh my god! True! What if he said something to Joe...that would be like...?" Demi started inventing.

Miley looked at her incredulously, _did the girl not remember their last conversation? _

"No, Dem...I...It wasn't about Joe it...it was about what I felt when I saw him standing there."

Demi raised her eyebrow even more, if that was possible.

"It was like my _boyfriend _was seeing me kiss another guy...I felt so guilty."

Demi's jaw dropped. "Oh! My! God! You don't only like Nick...you're in love with him!" she shouted.

"Shut it!" Miley snapped...dead scared that someone may have heard.

"Oh, god!" Demi said, taking a hand to her heart. "I...like...totally get you...I mean, I'm also torn between two lovers," she spoke dramatically. "Robert Pattison and Taylor Laurtner, god, how to choose?"

Miley looked at Demi with an expression that clearly read 'are-you-kidding-me?' "Demi, you don't know either one of them, neither one of them knows you and...I think you're confusing yourself with Kristen Stuart."

Demi smirked. "Well, maybe they don't know me right now...but you'll be forced to take your words back in a few years."

Miley laughed and threw a cushion at Demi, who started fake weeping. "Okay, then, I'm leaving and going to the playroom to send Rob and Tay two wonderful love letters."

Miley simply shook her head at her best friend as she left.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Nick was about to open the door as Demi came out and bashed into him.

"Sorry," he muttered, she simply ignored him and hurried down stairs.

Nick went into the room and as soon as Miley saw him she jumped of the bed and stood up.

"Nick? What are you doing here?" she asked with wide eyes.

He took a deep breath. "I want to speak to you, can I?"

Miley nodded.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

The two of them sat on the bed; her, pressing a cushion to her stomach and him, doodling with one of Miley's fluffy pens. He had surprised her, asking about Tyler before anything else.

"It's confusing," Nick spoke honestly. "I can't seem to understand..."

"What don't you understand, Nick? He's a great singer and piano player, first...and secondly...he's incredibly hot, Nick...even you can see that...it'd be strange for me _not _to like him," Miley told him.

"Well, I really think that's going over the top, no? Do you really like him that much?" he asked her, his heart beating a little faster.

She sighed. "Well, yes...and, well, no...I mean, at the beginning, yes...but now."

"No," Nick said looking at his feet. "I get it, I get it....You still have feelings for Jake, right? And then you like this Tyler and your confused..."

Miley gulped and looked at Nick right in the eye. "Well, not really because...y-you see...today something happened...something kind of weird."

_Nick's heart started beating a little faster..._

"Well, you know today when Jake and me where kissing and...You know...you saw us."

_A little faster..._

"Well, I kind of felt something."

_A little faster..._

"Like I was uncomfortable with it."

_A little faster..._

They looked into each other's eyes, a silent message going in between them.

_Far too fast..._

Nick stood up quickly, dropping the pen and tripping over the bed.

"It's l-late...I-I have to leave, Miley...I'll see you later..."he spoke as he left and tripped over a pair of shelves on his way out.

Miley bit her lip.

**Well,**

**That's it**

**Hope you liked**

**Please remember to Review**

**And please vote on the NJK awards website (link in my profile)**

**This story was nominated for 'Best Niley'**

**So...please**

**Vote and Review.**

**Thanks for reading...**


	12. C10: Jealousy Part 1

_A/N: Hey guys, I DO realize that most of you probably thought that I had abandoned this story but, no worries, I hadn't…It's just that life is really hectic right now and all my stories are kind of on hiatus…and I'm afraid that this is probably NOT the end of the hiatus, this is just a Little 'good' bump on the way. Please try and review if you can and let me know what could be better._

_**In the last episode:**_

_Miley gulped and looked at Nick right in the eye. "Well, not really because...y-you see...today something happened...something kind of weird."_

_**Nick's heart started beating a little faster...**_

"_Well, you know today when Jake and me where kissing and...You know...you saw us."_

_**A little faster...**_

"_Well, I kind of felt something."_

_**A little faster...**_

"_Like I was uncomfortable with it."_

_**A little faster...**_

_They looked into each other's eyes, a silent message going in between them._

_**Far too fast...**_

_Nick stood up quickly, dropping the pen and tripping over the bed._

"_It's l-late...I-I have to leave, Miley...I'll see you later..."he spoke as he left and tripped over a pair of shelves on his way out._

_Miley bit her lip._

**CHAPTER 10 - Part 1**

**JEALOUSY**

Miley lay on her bed as she did Demi's hair carefully, with a frown on her face. Demi had wanted to leave and go home but Miley had begged her to stay, she had really needed someone to talk to. However, as she sat there at that moment, hearing Demi babble on about something with no importance, she didn't know if that was the best idea.

"Why the nervousness?" she suddenly asked to herself in a whisper but Demi heard.

"What?" the brunette asked.

Miley shook her head, untangled her hands from Demi's hair and sat up, looking at her friend.

"When you left to go to the playroom, Nick came in," Miley confessed, making Demi's expression turn into a curious one.

"And? Oh, my, god...did he like confess that he's totally in love with you too?" Demi asked as she clapped her hands together joyfully.

Miley looked at her for a second and rolled her eyes. "How many times did your mum actually drop you as a baby, Dem?"

"Hey!" Demi shouted as she laughed and hit Miley with a pillow playfully.

Miley laughed for a second but her frown came back pretty soon.

"Then, what happened?" asked Demi.

"He started asking me about Tyler and Jake and...Then, I mention _him _and he as good as ran away...not before tripping with a few stuff, mind you,"

Demi giggled.

"Sounds like someone was running away from something," she spoke in a girlish tone.

"Yeah," Miley said in a frustrated and obvious manner. "Running away from me."

"But don't you say, Miles," Demi told her. "He wasn't running away from you, he was running away from his _feelings _for you."

Miley rolled her eyes. Was that possible? Her liking him was odd enough, Nick had never been anything but an older brother for her and now, suddenly, she liked him in a way that was sending shivers up her spine but...him liking her back? It was mental, wasn't it?

She shook her head. "I don't know about that, Dem but, what I do know is that it's pretty much impossible and, even if it were possible, it's a lost cause...he's basically helped bring me up!"

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

_**---Next Day---**_

"Selena! Some help here!" Charlotte shouted as she came down the stairs of the shed, carrying a huge box that blocked her sight. "Selena!"

However, Selena was far too busy looking at the street.

"Selena Russo! Do you mind?" Charlottes shouted, making the young girl jump.

She turned around quickly and apologized as she grabbed the box and left it to a side with Charlotte's help.

"What's wrong with you?" Charlotte asked as she leaned against the back of the sofa.

Selena breathed in. "I just...well, I thought maybe I'd wait outside incase Nick shows up before going to the office. I mean, I know it's Saturday but he normally works in the mornings.

Charlotte bit her lip. "I wouldn't get my hopes up, Sel."

Selena wanted to argue but she knew that it was pointless, Nick hadn't come to see her for ages and she was fed up of being the one to always phone him, could he take some interest for once?

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"Where's Cody, Greta?" Joe asked as the whole family sat down to have breakfast.

Greta smiled as she too sat down. "He left early, said he had to do weekend tutoring for some girl at school. I think he likes her, he was dressed really well."

Joe smiled. "Good for, Cody," he laughed.

Miley rolled her eyes. "Good for Cody? He goes out with someone and gets a whole chorus of 'hip, hip, hooray!" and I so much as look at a guy and get a blindfold as a present?" she asked angrily.

"It's different, Miley, you're a girl and sixteen he's a guy..." Joe tried to reason with her.

"Talk about sexists! Seriously, what are you? Like from the middle ages?"

Joe opened his mouth but was interrupted by the opening of the front door, followed by some footsteps and Nick's voice greeting everyone.

"Nick, what're you doing here? I thought you weren't working today." Joe said as the man came into the room completely.

"I," he started saying, trying to not meet Miley's eyes. "I wasn't up to staying home alone; you know I don't like not having anything to do, it makes me start thinking and you know...all kind of weird stuff."

Joe laughed and Miley bit her lip; Demi, who was still there, was trying to hold the laughter that was burning in her throat.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

The family had already dispersed. Zach had left to hang around with his mates, Noah was upstairs playing with her dolls, Lilly was helping Greta clean and Joe and Taylor had left to go to the doctor's right after breakfast. Miley was up in her room and Nick was in Joe's office, preparing a case.

Someone knocked hard on the front door.

"I'll go!" Nick shouted, taking advantage of the fact that he was going to fetch a glass of water.

However, as he opened the door, all thoughts of water dissapeard.

"What are you doing here?" he asked the young man who was standing in front of him.

He smirked. "I've come for Miley's classes- you know; because I'm her piano teacher," Tyler spoke in an obvious tone.

He patted Nick, no so kindly, on the shoulder and walked in; calling Miley's name and making Nick send him a terrible glare.

* * *

_A/N: I'm so sorry for leaving you here guys but I just have no time to do part 2...I really will try to upload ASAP but, it's just a matter of having, literally, no second to waste on this...besides, I'm not even allowed to use my pc on week days...this is just a onetime thing because I'm ill. I really am sorry, I really hate leaving you there but...you know how it is. One again, I'm sorry._


	13. C10: Jealousy Part 2

**CHAPTER 10 - Part 2**

**JEALOUSY**

The nice and poppy melody coming from the piano being touched by Miley's thin fingers filled the whole house with an air of happiness and calmness.

She played slowly as she looked to her left and smiled at Tyler, who kept on telling her how well she was doing it and giving her a few tips on how to make it sound more fluid. She then started signing softly to it.

From the corner of the room, Nick watched them with a mixture of emotions. On one hand, he was hypnotised by the beautiful sound Miley was creating so easily; however, on the other, he was trying hard not to hit hit guy who she kept on smiling at. What was this going on? He had never really been protective over Miley...yes, of course, he'd always cared, a lot, mind you, but this was different...he felt that nothing would ever be okay again if something happened to her, he felt that if she was hurt, he'd be hurt just as badly.

"Nick?" Greta spoke as she saw him. Then she realized he was listening to Miley. "Don't you think they should be playing something a little more classical?" she asked, trying to make small talk.

Nick didn't even bother to look at her, his eyes where fixated on Miley who was moving slowly and rhythmically on the stall, following the music; and Tyler's hand, that was resting gently on her back.

"They shouldn't be playing anything," Nick said bitterly.

Greta raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, if out little girl wasn't to learn to play she'll have to play at last a little of _something_, right?"

"Yes," Nick agreed; his eyes still on the couple. "But not with him, not with that."

Greta's eyebrow was raised again. "Why? DO you think there's something wrong with the piano?"

Nick didn't even bother correcting her. "Yes, there are a lot of things that are wrong about that piano. It being _there _for a start.

"What a surprise!" Greta explained with a smile. "You actually know some things about pianos..."

Nick finally blinks and comes back to reality, turning to Greta. "Yes...I guess..." he whispers.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"Nick is coming to pick me up..." Selena said with dreamy eyes.

Charlotte laughed. "Shouldn't he have arrived like 10 minutes ago?" she asked.

Selena glared at her. "He's probably got something to do at the Stewarts."

"Yes," Charlotte laughed again. "Woo Miley," she commented and as she saw the angry look on her first face she took it back. "It was only a joke, Sel...

"Well, you know I don't like those joke....especially not now that he's always got his eye on her, protecting her from any harm..." Selena confessed distantly.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"_I know that at some point you will come back,_

_No matter what it takes...oh..."_Miley sang beautifully as she played.

Nick listened to her with a smile on his face, sitting right next to the piano and obviously bothering Tyler who had just stopped Miley.

"Hey," Tyler spoke to Nick. "You know, it kind of bothers me that you're right there while I'm teaching."

Nick raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you talking to me?"

"Yeah, it's kind of annoying," Tyler answered him.

"Hey," Miley came in. "Stop. I...I like him being here. I want him to be here to hear me."

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"Taylor, please," Joe tried as he sat next to his girlfriend. "We're going tomorrow and that's final...you could already be three months along and this is dangerous...this way you're dealing with this is simply irrational...don't you want to know if you're pregnant for sure?"

"I already know I'm pregnant. I can feel it...and, I told you, my mother is coming over in two days...I'll go with her..." Taylor informed him.

"I want to be with you, this is _our _child we're talking about..."

"Joe, please...just let it be..."

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

After the class, Nick headed into the office with Joe, but not before catching Miley and Tyler going up the stairs together.

Miley sat comfortably on her bed, two cushions on her lap and Tyler sitting opposite her, on her wheel chair.

"So," he started speaking. "What's up with you and this guy?"

"Who?" Miley asked with a laugh. "Nicky...Nick?"

"Yeah," Tyler answered, obviously not getting what the laugh was about.

"Nothing." Miley added with an expression that read that she thought what she was saying was far too obvious. "He's always been my brother's best friend and...He's...I don't know...like a cousin." She explained. "Why are you asking?"

"No, I...it's just...the other day he came up to me and told me that I was your teacher and I shouldn't mix stuff...and I don't know how many more stupid things.

Miley laughed, thinking about that...could it be? She quickly shook her head, Nick loved her like a little sister, he saw her like a little girl. "No, that's just him caring and being protective. He really is a nice sweet guy, really if-"

She was interrupted by the door being opened, revealing Nick looking at the two of them with a frowned.

"You finished the class?" he asked Tyler and in angry tone. "Because, if you have, which is obvious, you can go..."

"Nick!" Miley exclaimed as she looked at the young man with a disbelieving look. "Come on, we're chatting, I invited him...so, _you _can go...thanks."

Nick gulped, looked at both of them again and, hesitantly, left.

"Miles, sorry to break it to you but, or that guy has serious over protection issues or he's into you pretty badly," Tyler said calmly, making Miley raise her eyebrows.

Could that really be true, could eh actually like her in that way. Miley wanted nothing more than to shake her head and tell herself that her thoughts where just the conclusion that a kid would come up with but, wasn't that the easy way out? The easy way to deal with everything? She didn't want to take the easy way, the easy way had never been the right way for her...she needed to find out what this was and she would...she promised herself that she would.

---------

_A/N: and months later, once again, and short, once again. I really am going to try to get chapter 11 up soon and...I'll let you know that Miley WILL keep her promise to herself. I hope you haven't abandoned this...even if I deserve it..._

_Thanks for reading and I would ask for reviews but I know I don't deserve them so, really, don't bother, you having bothered to read this is plenty enough._


	14. C11: Dark Night

_A/N: Thanks you so much for all the reviews I got for the last chapter. I was a little upset about this story not getting best drama...but, when you think about it, it really isn't that dramatic so...thanks for nominating me anyway. IF YOU HAVE TWITTER...please follow me...it'll probably make the waiting less boring because, I upload little sneak peeks as I'm writing the chapter. My username is PiliRome...so, you can look for me or, just write the twitter address and follow it by '/PiliRome'._

* * *

CHAPTER 11

DARK NIGHT

* * *

"Lillian, make sure everything goes okay, fine?" Joe asked again as him and Lilly walked down the stairs, Taylor following them behind, sneering at their interaction of words. She knew that her pregnancy idea had taken a toll on their relationship, and she was extremely happy about it.

Lilly nodded. "Don't worry, Mr Freezer, you will only be gone a day, I doubt much can happen in that small amount of time."

Joe rolled his eyes. "Just be careful. Taylor is going to be visiting her mum but Nicholas will be here until I come back," he informed her.

"I know," she acknowledged as she proceeded to pick up the house phone and start dealing a number. "Should I Pedro to take both of you, or will you be needing two different cars?

"No, we won't," Taylor interfered. "Pedro will leave Joe in the train station on our way to the airport."

"Fantastic," Lilly spoke with an obviously fake smile.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"I dare you too," a boy who must've been around 15 spoke to Zach.

Zach looked at Cody, who, in return, shook his head.

"Oh, come on...what is it...a little climbing and grabbing the ball," the boy spoke again.

"Stop it, Max," Cody begged. "It's illegal and you know it."

"That ball is worth a lot, it's signed by the whole Lakers team. We'll share the money," the boy answered.

"Then why don't you get it?" Zach asked, not knowing how he had reached this mess but knowing he'd never here the end of it unless he did what Max said.

"Because _I _dared _you_,_" _

Zach breathed in and, bending his legs, jumped on the wall.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

Lilly walked down the stairs and found Miley and Nick playing with Noah on the sofa. She thought back to that day a week or so back when she had understood wrongly that Nick was having feelings for Miley. At first, she had thought it was mental, just plain wrong, but now...looking at them together, she could almost feel all her fairies telling her that there was something special about the two of them, something she couldn't quite put her finger on, but something very special.

"There was a time you used to be like this with me," Miley told Nick with a smile as he placed Noah on his lap.

"Not really," Nick confessed.

Miley raised an eyebrow at him.

"Guys," started explaining Nick. "We're not like girls. We don't really appreciate the smile of a smaller kid until we're older...when you were this age, Joe and me were more into football and first girlfriends..."

"Oh...but that's not true..." Miley spoke with a smile.

Now it was Nick's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Can't you remember? When I was seven or eight, you were sixteen going on seventeen...Joe was always busy when mum and dad sent him to pick me up so he always sent _you. _You used to buy me chocolate in that small corner shop in the kissing pathway, and we used to sit down and share it, you'd tell me about school and so would I. And we'd laugh, we'd laugh a lot."

Nick smiled fondly at the memories. "True, and, after a few times, your parent gave up on asking Joe and just asked me instead. The twins would stay at the after-school football practice and we'd sit down at that bench next to the flower market and talk...man, isn't that very sad?"

Miley laughed and hit Nick playfully on the shoulder.

"Sad?" she asked in a faked hurt tone. "What better way to spend your evening than with wonderful me?"

"You know what I mean," Nick spoke. Moving his knees up and down so that Noah was bouncing as she yelled phrases like 'go, horsy!' "What would you rather? Stay home with Noah? Or go out with your friends?"

"You see, Nick," Miley stated. "The difference is that you and me _were _friends."

Nick laughed that kind of laugh that comes out when a kid says something naive. Noah saw Lilly and ran up the stairs to greet her,

"Hey, don't give me that," Miley said. "We both know you adored me. I _was _an adorable kid."

Nick laughed again. "Yeah," he confessed. "What happened to you?"

Miley let out a squeal and started hitting Nick playfully. Nick reacted and, with a laugh, held both her hands on his chest, stopping the punching.

As she looked up at her hands on his chest, the air suddenly became heavy and they could both feel their hearts beating, him from her wrist and her from his chest.

"Hey guys," Lilly suddenly interrupted the moment, making her presence known and making them both jump back.

She barely has time to say another thing before Cody came in, running through the door. He was out of breath and was looking scared.

"Zach...he's in the police office..." he simply said before sitting down on the first chair he saw, regaining his breath.

"What?" Lilly exclaimed, feeling a knot in her stomach. "What happened? Is he alright? What did he do? Oh gods...will he..."

"Lilly," Nick spoke clearly. "Calm down." He then turned to Cody. "Tell me what happened."

"Max Burrows," he stated. "It was a dare...he was caught trespassing the Lardner's house."

"Oh, god!" Miley exclaimed. "Even I'm not stupid enough to do that."

"He wasn't going to do it," Cody told them sincerely. "He started climbing the wall, but he realized it was stupid; He tried to get back down but lost his balance and the bottom of his trousers was caught by the big fence, Max run away and he pulled on the fence but MR. Lardner saw him and called the police, bloody git..."

"Cody!" Lilly reproached.

"The local police office?" Nick asked, grabbing his keys.

Cody nodded.

"I'm going with you!" Lilly exclaimed.

"No," Nick stated firmly. "Noah will get anxious...and Cody needs you."

"You shouldn't go alone," Lilly warned.

"I'll go," Miley volunteered quickly.

"No," Nick tried.

"Yes," she spoke, grabbing a jacket and walking to the door. "Come on."

Nick didn't want to waste another second arguing so he left quickly behind Miley.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"Please, this is pathetic," Nick spoke looking at Miley's sleeping form over a pair of chairs. "We've been here for hours, the law says that any 14-year-old or younger has no right to stay in a police office for more than 6 hours. He didn't steal anything and he was just messing around, I'll pay the fine and we can all go home.

"Yes, this _is _pathetic," the officer spoke. "I have told you that I cannot let him go until his official tutor has signed...Just call the man..."

"He's on the other side of the coast! Anyway, he does not need to know this...I am telling you that your information is wrong, he can come home with me," he insisted.

The officer rolled his eyes. "Look, the sheriff isn't here and I'm not doing anything unless he orders it."

"And where is the sheriff?"

"He'll be here in an hour," the officer informed him.

"You're going to be sorry about this," Nick warned him, heading towards Miley.

He knew he should wake her up but he couldn't help but stare at her. Her hair was partly falling on her face, make her light blue eyes stand out against the dark brown hair, she wasn't wearing anything nice in particular, just a pair of sweatpants and a top, over her was his big black jacket, which just made him all the more confused as he looked at her and realized that he loved that it was his jacket she was wearing.

He shook his head, put a pair of fingers over the bridge of his nose and tried to concentrate. He patted Miley's back softly and she awoke.

Her eyes adjusted to the dim light and, as she remembered where she was, she stood up quickly.

Sensing that she was going to be regretting sitting up so quickly, Nick put a hand to her back and helped her up.

"Where's Zack?" she asked in a sleepy tone.

"They won't let him out, told me to come back in an hour. But you, miss, need to get to your bed as soon as possible," he told her as he leaded her to the door

Miley tried to protest. "No, but..." However, soon enough she realized she was too tired to do so, so she simply let herself be taken out and into the car.

_**---How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?---**_

"OH god, it's cold out there," Nick mentioned as they both walked into the house. "Shall I turn on the light?" He asked her in a whisper. It was already one in the morning and everyone was obviously asleep.

"No, don't bother, I can see with the moonlight," she told him. She looked at him and had to smile, the moonlight came in through the open door and reflected on his face in a way that was truly marvellous; he looked some kind of perfect Greek god.

"Well," he suddenly said. "I need to get going, the longer your brother's in there, the more chance there is of Joe finding out and, that is definitely not what we want."

"No, I guess but..." Miley started. "Wait! Your coat!"

She started pulling the coat of herself and Nick helped her out.

"True, my coat, about to steal it where you?" Nick tried to joke, but Miley barely smiled as he took the coat of and she took both his hands in hers quietly and gently.

"Nick," she suddenly spoke in a tone that made the whole atmosphere change once again. It made the air heavy around them, just like before. "Thanks."

Nick sensed the change of atmosphere but couldn't bring himself to take his hands away. "Why?" he asked in a slightly broken voice.

Miley caressed his hand a little, subs consciously, without realizing how nervous she was making him. "Thanks...because you're so good with all of us...with me...and it really does me a lot of good."

Nick, not being able to stand her caressing anymore, let go of her hand and started speaking carelessly and quickly. "Yeah....your welcome...good...I have to go..."

"Wait..." she said.

Nick hesitantly held back.

Miley didn't really know if it was that she was feeling sleepy or if she was still dreaming but, right now she felt she could do anything and that made her feel like destiny was telling her that this was the moment she had been looking for. She felt the courage rise up through her veins.

"There's something I need to tell you, Nick," she spoke with confidence but with certain shyness too. "And it's important...a lot more important than simply saying thank you."

She saw him suddenly look worried. "Don't be scared..." she said, sensing he thought that a dark confession was coming up.

"What do you mean? How can I not be scared? We're here and you won't let me go because there's something incredibly important that you just need to tell me. What have you done, Miley?" Nick blabbered on.

"No...I haven't done anything...Well, I...," she walked closer to him and he finally realized what she was doing. He put his hands up, trying to stop her from coming nearer. "You're just...so good, and you're smart and...Just nice," she continued, going closer to him, making him step back and move his arms in front of her nervously.

"Miley," he said, knowing that they were reaching a point of no return. "Stop playing, stop messing around, I'm begging you."

Miley shook her head and gulped. They were both trembling now, and it wasn't from the cold. "I'm not playing, I...I, think I...there's something going on with you...with me." She touched his hand with her own, and for a second they both stood there, seemingly understanding what was happening. However, as soon as the moment came, it went away.

"I have to go," Nick said quickly, turning around.

"Nick, stop it!" Miley told him. "Come on, I just...I just confessed that there's something I'm feeling towards you and you just run away again."

Nick touch the bridge of his nose again and closed his eyes, opening them a second later to find Miley still looking at him expectantly.

"Miles, you're...you're confused. You just broke up with Jake...you're confused," he mumbled, not really knowing who he was trying to confused.

"Nicky, I'm not talking to you about Jake, I'm not...I'm talking about you, caring about you, not him, us. You and me. I just, you could talk to me...say something." She begged him.

That was when Nick got angry, but not at her, at him, and life, at everything. "What do you want me to say, Miley, It's craziness! Pure craziness! I don't want...to hurt you so, look...why don't you go upstairs, calm down, think things over...and you'll realize this isn't what you think it is."

Miley bit her lips and then got angry too. "Oh, I see, just tell me to go to sleep and wake up forgetting it all."

Nick wanted to protest but Miley didn't let him.

"Of course, it's always easier to ignore something than to come to terms with it, isn't it?" Miley spat angrily at him.

"Wait a second, Mile..." Nick tried, but got interrupted again.

"No, you wait; this thing, whatever it is that is happening in between us, it's not going to fly away...it's not going to disappear...it's here and it's now, so dealing with it might be the best thing to do."

"Miley," Nick spoke. "You...I...I see you like a...a ...a little sister. Yes, a little sister."

Miley couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips as she shook her head. "Sure, say that, believe that if you must...but...I...don't believe for one second."

Nick suddenly looked lost for words so Miley gulped and blinked a couple of times.

She went on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek roughly, showing her anger but also showing him that she was not going to let his rejection ruin her in any way. "Goodnight, I'm going to bed."

And with that she turned around and left, to walk up the stairs, and he looked at her leave, a palm touching his cheek and his head spinning, searching for answers and knowing that the one with all of them had been willing to give them to him a few minutes ago. With those thought in his head, he dissapeard into the starless, dark night.

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_**A/N: Please guys do look for me on twitter (PiliRome), I really upload loads of quotes and also let you know when the episode will be posted. Hope you liked this...and once again, thank you for all the reviews I've been getting, they are great! And, please, REVIEW SOME MORE!! It really makes me :D**_


	15. C12: It's There, Even If,

_A/N: This chapter is dedicated to someone. Maybe by the time I finish this chapter you'll be gone, I don't know where too but I know you won't be here anymore, I just hope that you won't, selfishly…but, I just hope you won't. I love you, I hope you know that._

_

* * *

_

_**In the Last Chapter:**_

"_Miley," Nick spoke. "You...I...I see you like a...a ...a little sister. Yes, a little sister."_

_Miley couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips as she shook her head. "Sure, say that, believe that if you must...but...I...don't believe for one second."_

_Nick suddenly looked lost for words so Miley gulped and blinked a couple of times._

_She went on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek roughly, showing her anger but also showing him that she was not going to let his rejection ruin her in any way. "Goodnight, I'm going to bed."_

_And with that she turned around and left, to walk up the stairs, and he looked at her leave, a palm touching his cheek and his head spinning, searching for answers and knowing that the one with all of them had been willing to give them to him a few minutes ago. With those thought in his head, he dissapeard into the starless, dark night._

_

* * *

_

**CHAPTER 12**

**IT'S THERE...EVEN IF YOU DON'T THINK IT'S POSIBLE.**

**

* * *

**

Everyone, except for Taylor, who wouldn't arrive for a week or two, and Noah, who was changing, was gathered around the table, having breakfast. Everyone was consumed in small conversations with the person beside them, everyone, that is, except for Nick who was leaning on the counter, a cup of coffee in his hand as he starred attentively at Miley.

Miley, who knew perfectly well who was the owner of the eyes that she felt watching her, tried to ignore the young man. She was still angry about the incident that happened two nights before, the way he had lied to her and rejected her had pained her deeply, even if she understood the reasons perfectly. She knew it couldn't be but when she told herself that, she couldn't help but here her mother's voice in her head.

_Love doesn't know a thing about ages, sweetheart. Not about ages, not about physical beauty, not about anything...love is just love, no matter where it's found._

Of course, followed by that came in the voice from her conscience, her intelligent self:

_I'm pretty sure she'd take those words back in a second if she was here to see what you were doing._

Miley shook her head, trying to stop thinking about it for the moment. She'd decide what to do later.

"So," Joe spoke. "I'm guessing Lillian won't be home tonight, right?"

"You know I won't, Mr Freezer," was the blonde's response as she entered the kitchen with Noah behind her. "I've got to say goodbye to Cody and then I'm going to help Pablo with the catwalk...the one you will be attending to, remember? It was agreed Greta would look after Noah, Zack and Miles."

"Miles, AKA me, doesn't need looking after," Miley spoke out clearly, a little angry.

"I agree," Zack jumped in. "And neither do I. Cody gets to spend 3 weeks in San Diego with a Spanish family and I can't do without a babysitter? Come on..."

"Yes, that's exactly it, Zack," Joe stated. "I can't trust either of you to control yourselves. I think we all know that."

Miley looked like she was going to say something but Lilly gave her a look that clearly told her that it was better to let it be. Miley gave her another look stating that she'd let it be...for now.

"Well, I'm off to the office...Cody have you got your things packed?" Joe asked as he finished his coffee and stood up.

Cody nodded but then looked thoughtful and suddenly stood up and ran upstairs.

"Guess that means 'no'," Nick commented, making everyone look at him as if they had just only realized he was there.

Soon enough all eyes were of him except for two outstanding blue ones. The minute Joe was out of earshot; Lilly leaned over the table and started whispering.

"We're gonna sing something for Cody before he leaves okay, we'll put up a nice banner and sing 'Goodbye, for now," okay?" she told them. "Can you all manage to be here at 5? By the way, don't tell Mr. Freezer, I don't want hi making excuses so that we can't do it.

Everyone mustered a quick 'yes', making Lilly smile and mutter something that sounded like 'perfect' cheerfully.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

Lilly, Noah, Nick, Miley, Demi and Greta were all standing on the stairs, pieces of paper in their hands with the lyrics of the song on them. Beside Miley was a light brown acoustic guitar that had once belonged to her father.

"Quicky" or he comes before we're ready!" Noah spoke in a hush.

"Don't worry, princess, Zack's keeping him up there until I shout some words," Lilly told her.

Just then the doorbell rang, making Lilly raise an eyebrow and Miley run off to answer it.

"That's weird, who could it be?" Were Greta's words before Miley opened the door, revealing Tyler behind it.

The girl smiled at the young musician. "I'm glad you came," Nick heard her say as she enveloped the boy in a comfortable hug. Nick looked away pointedly.

"Hey guys," Miley spoke to the others. "Ty is letting us borrow his voice."

"That's fantastic, Tyler," Lilly said with a smile.

Tyler and Miles walked up to the top of the stairs. Everyone was standing but Miley sat down with the guitar on her lap and her pick in her left hand. Tyler leaned down and whispered something in her ear. Miley laughed and as she looked up she found Nick looking at both of them with a frown.

"What is it?" she asked angrily and with an edgy tone.

Nick raised an eyebrow. "You talking to me?" he asked, pointing his two hands at his chest, as if surprised at her statement.

"No, I'm talking to Rudolf the red nose reindeer...course I'm talking to you..." Miley told him.

Nick was about to answer when Lilly's voice was heard.

"London Bridge is falling down!" She shouted loud enough to be heard in the whole house. Everyone realized a second later that these must be the words that her and Zack had agreed on.

Cody began descending the stairs when everyone started singing.

His smile grew as he hugged everybody and joined in with the song.

Meanwhile Nick looked at Miley and Tyler with eyes filled with anger and jealously and he didn't even understand why. Hadn't it been him who rejected her last time? Tried to convince both of them that he loved her like a sister?

He shook his head. He was so messed up.

As they continued singing, Joe came in, getting ready to say bye to Cody. Contrary to what Lilly had believed, he didn't frown and argue about the singing; he smiled and hugged his younger brother.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

Lilly and Miley came into Joe's office smiling.

"So, is Ty going to help at the catwalk?" Lilly asked joyfully.

"Ask him," Miley responded as Tyler came in behind them, Demi dragging behind too.

"So," Lilly asked the boy. "You going to sing play and sing tonight? Help us out?"

Tyler nodded. "Of course, no problem!"

Miley smiled, placing a hand on Tyler's arm and mouthing a thank you as Joe came in and greeted them.

Followed by Joe came Nick, who stopped when he saw Tyler.

"What are you still doing here?" The curly-haired man asked rather rudely.

Lilly and Miley stared at him. "Nick! Don't be so rude!" Lilly exclaimed, not believing someone as polite as Nick could make a remark like that.

Nick didn't blink, obviously deciding he wasn't going to apologize as he moved towards Joe's desk.

Lilly looked at Tyler apologetically. "I don't know what's wrong with him," she excused Nick.

"He just doesn't know how to deal with his feelings," Miley muttered under her breath. Lilly stared at her for a second but decided that she had heard the wrong thing.

"So," Joe suddenly spoke up. "Why are you all in my office?"

Miley put on her best angel face and stepped towards the desk. "Well, Joe, best big brother in the world...Dems and me, we just really really want to participate in the catwalk."

Joe laughed. "I already said it once but it obviously wasn't clear enough, No-Way-In-Hell..."

Miley sighed, exasperated. "You know mum would've let me."

Joe shook his head. "Don't do that, don't bring mum into this. I said no and it's no." The man then turned to Nick. "Can you believe this, asking me to let participate?"

Miley smiled, no matter how angry Nick was with her, he always defended her when it came to Joe.

"You're right," then said Nick, making Miley's jaw drop. "I don't think it's right."

"What the hell..." Miley started. "Keep your mouth shut Nick; this is none of your business anyway!"

"Your brother asked for my opinion and I gave it to him," Nick told her seriously. "Your too young."

Miley's eyes went wide. "Thanks a lot Nick. Now you're just like Joe!" the girl shouted as she walked out of the door, grabbing Demi's hand on the way.

Tyler looked around for a second.

"Well, I think I better get going," he then said. "See you tonight," he told Lilly before leaving.

Joe and Lilly looked at Nick.

"What was that about?" The older man asked, referring to the fight between Nick and Miley. If there was one thing that he had never seen, it was Nick and Miley on bad terms; they were always perfectly fine with each other.

Nick raised an eyebrow. "What? Miley?" He paused for a second as he realized that Lilly was looking at him with some curiosity, like she was trying to solve some kind of mystery. "Don't ask me, she's the crazy teenager."

Joe laughed and got back to work but Nick visibly gulped as Lilly looked at him with questioning eyes.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"I don't care what Joe says, it's for the company! It's my company too! If I want to catwalk, I will! And, Nick! How dare he!" Miley shouted at random as she paced around her room.

"Fine!" Demi spoke, with a start as she stood up. "We'll do it!"

Miley smiled as she opened the wardrobe and pulled out a long rope.

"What the hell is that for, Miley?" Demi asked with worry.

Miley laughed as she opened the window and let the rope fall down the side of the house.

"Remember when I said we'd do it?" Demi asked Miley as the girl in question started climbing through the window. Miley muttered something that sounded like 'u-huh'. "Well I didn't mean we'd do _anything _to do it."

Miley laughed. "Come on, Dem, you didn't really expect us to just run out of the front door, did you?"

Demi nodded. "Yes, I did."

Miley laughed again and started descending through the rope.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

Lilly came into the catwalk backstage, she looked around to see over twenty different models and over 10 people preparing each one of them.

"Hey beautiful," Pablo's charming voice was heard as he wrapped his left arm around her. Surprised she turned to look at him and he kissed her.

She pulled away soon enough; It's not that she didn't like Pablo, of course she liked Pablo, he was such a charming man who made her feel like a princess but, Joe was always going to be her one, she hated to admit it but, whatever it was that was keeping Joe and Taylor together, it was ruining her life.

She was about to say something when she spotted Miley coming out of a changing room with some of the spring clothes on.

"Miley Ray Stewart!" Lilly shouted as she walked towards her. "What are you doing here?"

Miley gulped and started trying to think quickly. "C-chill out, Lil! Joe gave me permission!" the younger girl assured.

Lilly raised an eyebrow at her. "You can lie to anyone else, but not to me...sadly, since I haven't seen you," she said pointedly as she looked towards the other side of the backstage. "I won't be able to call Joe."

Miley laughed and gave the blonde a huge hug before going to get her makeup done.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"Wow, look at these," Miley told Demi as she picked up a straight blonde wig and put it on.

"There's no way anyone's recognising you now," Demi spoke. "Anyways, I've gotta go to take my place, see you miles."

"See you, Dem!"

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

There were over a hundred people in the room, 50 on either side of the platform that was set of for the catwalk. Joe and Nick were seated on the left side, in the front row, when the members of the band came in to sit down.

Meanwhile Selena took the seat next to Nick.

A tall brunette model came in wearing a red dress.

"Wow, wish I had those legs," Selena told Nick, obviously expecting to have him contradict her; however, he just nodded, as he thought inexplicably about Miley.

The brunette went back in and a blonde with straight hair came out. She was wearing a black skirt and a baggy glittery grey top that matched with some great grey sandals.

Nick looked at her attentively. "Hey, look," he told Joe. "That one looks a bit like Miley; see the way she's walking..."

Joe looked at the girl, who had her back to them. "Yeah, you're right, there's something 'bout her..."

Demi smiled joyfully, forgetting who was sitting right in front of her. "God, Miles looks so good with that wig!"

Joe and Nick turned around to let at her, stunned.

"Miley!" Joe simply shouted, making the girl turn around and then rush off back stage as quickly as she could.

Joe stood up angrily.

"German, calm down," Nick tried, pushing him back to his seat.

"She's going to hear me!" he shouted before storming off.

"Shit," Nick murmured.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"Where's Miley?" shouted Joe as he saw Lilly backstage.

Lilly faked a surprised expression. "Miley? Miley's not here..."

Joe grabbed Lilly's hand, making her look at him. "Don't lie to me, I wouldn't lie to you."

Lilly pushed his hand away. "Let her be..."

"No way," Joe argued with her.

"I mean let her be because...Cody just called and his train just arrived...you want to see how it went, right?"

Joe glared at her. "No, right now, I just want to shout at Miley...so, if you let me..."

"Mr. Freezer, please...just go outside, talk to Cody, and chill of," Lilly begged.

Joe hated this, he hated that she could control him in that way. However, there really wasn't much he could deny her and that was just way it was.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

The catwalk had ended but, currently, Tyler and his band mates were up on the stage, singing a song.

Miley had joined them seconds before and she was clinging onto Tyler as he sang.

"What the hell is Miley doing up there with him?" Nick spoke angrily as he sat on the chairs, Selena's arm around him.

"Let her be, Nick, what do you care?" she asked a little defensively.

Nick looked at her for a second. "I-I don't' care I-I just...Joe, you know, it's just for Joe..."

Selena simply frowned.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"Well, I think we should toast for Ty, and the band," Lilly spoke as Nick, Selena, Miley, Demi, Zack, Charlotte, Drum, Jake, Tyler and his band mates all held orange juice in their hands.

"Toast with orange juice?" Selena laughed. "Well, of course, it really needs to be like that or poor Miley couldn't drink."

"Sel, you're under 21 too," Charlotte stated. "Besides, Zack, Demi and me are under age too."

Selena glared at her. "Sorry for the comment, then."

Miley simply shook her head at the girl.

"Well, anyway, we should get going, before Joe storms in here," Nick spoke, checking the time.

Miley spoke up. "Actually, I'm going to have a drink with Ty before-"

"Don't even think about it," Nick stated before she could finish the sentence. Selena touched his arm.

"Honey, why do you have to interfere?" Selena asked her boyfriend with a sceptic look.

Nick rolled his eyes as Miley spoke. "Yeah, for once something reasonable comes out from Russo's mouth. Why do you have to interfere, Nick?"

Lilly sensing the cold atmosphere came in quickly.

"You know what...we should all go home...it's late."

A few people agreed and finally, only Tyler, Nick, Selena, Miley, Zack and Lilly were left.

"Yeah, well, I should go too," Ty interjected, looking mainly at Miley.

Miley put her arms around him, whispered 'thank you for singing' in his ear, and gave his peck on the cheek.

Meanwhile, the people around them had mixed reactions. Nick looked at them, not being able to help gulping; Selena was looking at Nick, knowing perfectly well that what she had been suspecting was right. Lilly and Zack looked around them and then at each other, for a second a thought invaded their head but, then, at the same time, they shook their heads, both thinking exactly the same:

"Miles and Nick...no way...right?"

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A/N: Hope you enjoyed it. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU

THOUGHT AND WHAT COULD BE BETTER.

THE KISS IS PROBABLY COMING UP NEXT CHAPTER!


	16. C13: All An Act

**In the last episode:**

Miley put her arms around him, whispered 'thank you for singing' in his ear, and gave his peck on the cheek.

Meanwhile, the people around them had mixed reactions. Nick looked at them, not being able to help gulping; Selena was looking at Nick, knowing perfectly well that what she had been suspecting was right. Lilly and Zack looked around them and then at each other, for a second a thought invaded their head but, then, at the same time, they shook their heads, both thinking exactly the same:

"Miles and Nick...no way...right?"

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**All An Act**

* * *

"There's no excuse, Miley!" Joe shouted from his desk as Miley stood in front of it, rolling her eyes. "I told you quite clearly that I didn't want you at that particular event and, like always, you _had _to go, and you just had to not listen to me, didn't you?"

Somewhere along the speech, Nick had come in quietly.

"Is something wrong?" The curly-haired-man asked as he walked towards Miley and Joe.

Joe sighed. "Of course there's something wrong, we'll talking about last night's catwalk."

"God!" Miley protested. "Joe, there was a girl missing and Pablo needed me so I just stepped in, can't you just let it be?"

"I don't give a damn what Pablito Cicaronni has to say! You listen to that idiot more than you do to me!" Joe shouted at her, still sitting down but feeling like he would hit something any minute.

"Excuse me if that _idiot, _as you call him, is a million times better than you!" Miley shouted back.

That hit a nerve and Joe stood up angrily, hitting the table. "Don't talk to me that way, Miley Stuart; _I'm _your older brother!"

"Oh, and what are you going to do, dear older brother? Send me to a boarding school, a reformatory for young ladies? Those kinds of things don't exist anymore, Joe. We're in the twenty-first century!" Miley told him just as loudly and angrily.

Joe shook his head, pointing a finger at Miley. "Don't temp me, Miles, or I swear on God that I'll find one."

Miley let out a snort. "The only thing left to say is that I should have a bodyguard...someone following me around all day, seeing everything I do, looking after me like a baby."

Nick looked at Miley, feeling confused, it almost seemed like she was inducing this, trying to make Joe accept this. He then saw a glint in her eyes and he knew that she had something planned, something, he thought, that wasn't going to turn out to well for himself.

"You know what?" Joe said, falling right into his sister's trap. "That's not a bad idea."

Miley let out another fake snort. "Really, Joe? Really? Why not assign Nick to the case and then complete the whole madness?

Nick gulped as a small smile appeared on Miley's face. God, she was good.

"No!" Nick basically yelled as he saw Joe considering what Miley had just proposed. "No, Joe, I know what you're thinking but it's really _not _a good idea."

"Yeah, come on, Joe," Miley continued with her act. "Have Nick chase me around all day? Have to look after me 24/7? He can't do that Joe, can he?"

Nick stared at her in shock. Really, Miley? Really?

Joe continued nodding, ignoring Nick's complaints, or more like begs.

"It's perfect," the eldest said. "From now on, Nico," he spoke, patting his friend's shoulder. "You're gonna be her guarding angel. It's perfect."

Joe laughed and turned around to continue working. Meanwhile, Miley smiled with satisfaction, and Nick...well, Nick basically just stood there for a good five minutes before realizing what that beautiful sixteen-year-old had put him up for.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"No more protesting from either of you," Joe announced the next day, early in the morning. "Nick, you'll take Miley to school."

Miley shook her head. "Yey, Nick! And in the meantime you can buy me chocolate and brush my hair! We can even play Barbie's!

Nick couldn't help but laugh at her sarcasm. "The kid's right, Joe-"

"Hey!" Miley protested again. "What kid?"

Nick stopped for a second. "She's right, Joe," he spoke, looking at Miley seriously. "She's not a kid; come on, German, she can walk alone...it's not the first time she misses the school bus."

"No!" Joe said. "She can't walk alone because I can't trust her. Please, Nico, just take her, will you?

Nick nodded hesitantly. "Fine, come on, Miles..."

"Well, let's go..."

They both opened the door to leave, finding a woman on the way out. They greeted her politely and the moved onto the street as they started walking.

Joe checked to see that they weren't looking and greeted the woman.

"I'm so glad you could come..." he told her truthfully.

She nodded. Joe looked at her for a second, she was very very pregnant and he wasn't sure if he should tell her this, but she needed to know and, most importantly, so did Lilly.

"Yes, well, you sounded extremely anxious...I thought something might be wrong, something pretty bad," the woman spoke, holding her stomach with her left hand.

Joe stood in front of her. She'd been trying to talk to Lilly about this since yesterday but she didn't listen so he had to take into his own hands; no matter how many shouts he could get from Lilly for it.

"Mrs. Cicaronni...I saw you and Pablo yesterday, after the catwalk, when I was on the phone with my brother outside. I...I was hoping you could tell me what is going on between him and you," Joe asked, selfishly begging that it was something bad enough to break Lilly and that jerk up.

The woman looked at Joe strangely. "He's my husband," she announced clearly. "But, why does that make you anxious, sir?"

Joe breathed in, about to confess what he knew, when Lilly and Pablo appeared through the back door of the kitchen and entered the living room.

They didn't even realize they weren't alone as they discussed something.

Pablo was making up excuses and Lilly was answering back. Finally she put her hands on his arms so they could both calm down.

"Take you hands off my, husband!" shouted the pregnant woman.

Lilly and Pablo both turned around. The first completely stunned, the second filled with dread and, finally, Joe...who was trying to hide a smug look on his face.

_**-How? Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

Miley laughed as they continued walking, they had already gone half-way and Nick hadn't said a word.

"What are you laughing at?" Nick asked her as they walked slowly.

Miley laughed again. "I just find it funny that you're so grumpy. You're turning into Joe, Nick."

Nick frowned. "Haven't you thought I might have a reason for that?"

"What reason?" Miley asked with a raised eyebrow. "Nick, if you want to be a good _guarding angel_, you have to caring, protective, funny..."

As she said that, a sloppy grin appeared on her face and Nick stopped as he saw it.

"Miles, I'm asking you nicely, please just cut this entire act, please..." he begged her.

Miley gulped. "What act?" she asked him.

"You know what I'm talking about, don't plat dumb, Miley," he spoke, making Miley roll her eyes.

"Being grumpy doesn't look good on you, Nick...But, either way, I think I'm going to enjoy this 'you and me being joined at the hip' thing," was the girl's answer.

Nick wanted to say something else but decided to let it be for now. "Fine, let's get you to school..."

_**-How? Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"I'm going to kill you!" Lilly shouted with Pablo's wife as they both hit him until he was out of the house.

Joe still had a smug look on his face.

Lilly was about to tell him to drop it when the woman leaned over with pain. Holding her swollen stomach tightly.

Joe and Lilly looked at each other and were at her side in a second.

"I'm Sarah, by the way," the woman spoke when she had calmed down a little. "I don't know how to thank you," she told you.

"Don't worry," Joe answered. "But it's nice to at least here thank you, the only thing I got from some other people was 'mind your own business'," he said, glaring at Lilly.

"Well, I'm sorry Mr. Freezer...but how was I supposed to trust you blindly...you were dying from jealousy, you could've just made it up..." Lilly explained.

Joe was about to answer back when Sarah shouted. They both turned to look at her, terrified.

"Oh, god! Oh, god!" Sarah shouted. "My-My..."

Lilly looked at her pointedly. "What's wrong?"

"My water just broke!"

Noah came running down the stairs as she heard and so did Greta.

"What does that mean?" Joe asked, knowing perfectly what it meant, but being to shocked to think it through.

"It means she's having the baby, now!" Lilly shouted at him as she turned to place Joe on the sofa.

"Cool! A baby!" Noah shouted joyfully, waving her hands in the air.

Joe stood there, wondering how he had gotten himself in this mess.

_**-How? Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"Wasn't it nice that Nick invited me to the cat walk?" Selena said as she folded some clothes at the shop.

Charlotte rolled her eyes, she was getting fed up of Selena's continuous Nick-babbling. Especially when she knew that it wasn't going to last; Sel was head over heels in love with him but Charlotte could tell that Nick barely even cared for her.

"Don't get exited, Sel," Charlotte said. "He only invited you because he knew we were all going."

Selena looked at her angrily. "Don't be mean, he invited me before he knew that..."

Charlotte rolled her eyes again as Miley came into the shop with her school uniform and her school bag. She looked at her for a second as Miley sat down between the two girls.

"Did you skip class?" the youngest girl asked her.

Miley shook her head. "Nah, a teacher was missing and I didn't feel like waiting so I just walked out."

"Oh, cool..." Charlotte commented. "By the way, did Joe get very angry about the catwalk?"

Miley snorted. "Understatement of the year, he was furious...but, well, it was worth it. Besides, the funniest thing is...wait for it...he assigned Nick to be my 'guarding angel'! he has to follow me around everywhere!"

Selena pushed her hair behind her ear as she looked at Miley, stunned. "Wait...what?"

Miley turned to look at her with a shrug. "Yes, he's looking after me. Does it bother you?"

Before she could answer Nick came in, looking angry.

Selena smirked at Miley, obviously mistaking the intentions of Nick's visit, only to walk up to him and have him completely ignore her and walk towards Miley.

"You and me have to talk, outside..." he spoke solemnly, turning a second after and finding Selena glaring at him.

He gulped. "Hey Sel," he said quietly before walking out and leaving the brunet even more stunned that before.

Miley followed him out, but not before discreetly smirking at Selena.

_**-How? Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"Look," Nick told her for the third time. "I don't care if your History teacher got ill. We said that I'd meet you at the school gates and I was expecting you there. You should have stayed there."

"Yeah, right," Miley protested. "And wait for you two bloody hours?"

"Hold your tongue, Miley," Nick warned her. "Anyway, I don't _want _to be your babysitter so don't talk to me like that."

She walked closer to him and went on her tiptoes so that their faces were only inches apart.

"Why," she spoke slowly. "Do I scare you when I talk like that?"

Nick took a step back quickly and put his hands in front of him.

"Miley, enough with your stupid games...seriously, enough!" Nick told her seriously, hoping she would listen. He didn't know how many more of her direct gestures he could take without giving in. She was driving him crazy and he didn't even know why...she was a kid, a kid he'd help raise...it was wrong, wrong in every way possible.

"They're not stupid games, Nick. I'm trying to make you see what I told you a few nights ago...there's not game being played here Nick, at least not on my part. I can't say the same about you, though," she said, making him want to gulp, but he simply frowned.

"What are you talking about?" he asked her, looking down at the ground.

She took hold of his chin and lifted it up.

"You know what I'm talking about!" she half-shouted, making him look into her eyes, looking back at him hardly. "Look into my eyes like this and tell me you aren't feeling anything."

Nick gulped and breathed in. "I don't feel anything for you, Miley," he lied, feeling his insides turn as he did so. He wanted to be sick.

"I don't believe you!" Miley shouted. "I'm looking at you and you're killing yourself because you're lying...and, why? For Joe?"

"This has...look, Miley, let's just go home," Nick insisted.

Miley shook her head. "No, I'm staying with the girls, there's nothing bad about that!"

"Well, I told your brother I'd take your home, so we're going home!" Nick wanted to shout. Why couldn't she listen to him, like she used to. _Because things aren't like they used to be:_ said a voice in his head.

"Really, Nick?" Miley asked, suddenly faking a kind voice. "How about this...you, me and your dear girlfriend can go have a coffee...like that, we both win and you can look after me..."

Nick rolled his eyes but knew that he wasn't going to win this batter so he simply nodded.

From the shed door, Charlotte and Selena were looking at the couple.

"She wants to steal my guy!" Selena realized out loud. Charlotte snorted.

"Sel, she's only messing around...Miles is only a kid like me and, she just barely broke up with Jake _and _she's obviously with that Tyler guy...why would she want Nick? I know she likes to stir things up but she wouldn't do something like that just for fun..." Charlotte insisted.

"Miley's no kid," Selena told the girl. "And she wants Nick, look at her!"

Charlotte bit her lip. "Well, even if that were true. Don't worry, it's not like Nick would ever lead her on. Come on, Selena, he sees her like a little sister.

_**-How? Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

Miley leaned back on her chair as she watched Selena hovering over Nick and Nick trying to look at her discreetly, but Miley saw his every look. It's not like she was dumb.

"Selena, your coffee's going to get cold," Miley told her.

The girl in question turned around and glared at Miley with a fake smile on her lips. "How considerate of you," she spoke.

Nick was about to take a sip of his own coffee when Tyler's voice was heard approaching.

"Hey guys," he offered, receiving a smile from the boys and a discrete glare from Nick. Tyler then looked at Miley. "Miles, do you think I could steal you for a sec?"

Miley smiled and stood up. "Sure thing," she answered quickly.

Nick looked uncomfortable. "Hey, In five minutes were leaving, Miley."

Miley looked back at him and nodded with a smug look on her face, as Selena glared at her boyfriend. "What's the hurry?" she asked him.

He looked at her and shrugged, after seeing that wasn't a good enough answer, he spoke up. "Um...Joe, w-wants her home..."

Selena crossed her arms and frowned like a puppy. This was getting way out of hand.

_**-How? Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"So, what is it?" Miley asked cheerfully when Tyler and her where a few metres away from the table. You could still see them, but not listen to them.

Tyler gave her a half-smile. "I came to tell you that your piano teacher is giving you a holiday."

Miley raised an eyebrow.

"What? Why?" she asked him.

He gave her the same half-smile again. "The other day, at the catwalk, someone watched us sing...Me and the guys...We're going to be the opening act in the European tour of Hawthorne Heights."

Miley's jaw dropped. "Are you serious? That...That's amazing! Congratulations!"

Tyler really smiled now. "Thanks. I just, you know, wanted to do this face to face so I could say goodbye properly."

_**-How? Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

Nick shifted in his seat again, his eyes set on Miley and Tyler.

"Nick, calm it, will you?" Selena half-begged. Completely annoyed by now.

Nick shifted in his seat again. "I-I just don't understand why they have to be _there_. J-Joe wouldn't approve of this and I'm in charge of Miley."

Nick started getting up. "I'm going to go..."

Selena glared at him, grabbed his arm and pushed him back on the chair. "You're staying here," she told him seriously. Nick breathed in, feeling more useless than ever.

_**-How? Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"So," Tyler continued. "I was thinking that, when I come back...we could go on that date that I asked you on the first time we met."

Miley smiled. She didn't want to turn him down, he was a great guy and he was talking about the future, what was the point in rejecting him when she could reject him later on. "Well, we'll see but, who knows, it _would _be nice."

Tyler smiled one last time, looked at Miley for a second and then crushed his lips against hers.

All the while, Nick was looking at them, feeling that he didn't know how much more he could stand.

* * *

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A/N: I'm SOOOOOOOOO Sorry. I know I said that you'd probably get the kiss in this chapter and I'm sure you hate for the Tyler kiss but...if I include their kiss in here, you were going to have to wait another week + it would be rushed. I didn't want that to happen so I thought this would be better.**

**I PROMISE the kiss will be in the next chapter and I PROMISE that you'll love the next chapter...trust me, it's drama filled. Everything is going to be getting a lot more interesting so please keep tuned.**

**THANKS FOR READING and remember that if there was ANYTHING AT ALL that you didn't like or REALLY liked then please leave a review and tell me. You guys are amazing for standing me and my crazy schedules, hopefully it will change once school finished next week and summer start.**


	17. C14: Love

_**A/N. Guys, I really don't know what to say...I...I've been really busy but that's not an excuse...you guys are great...you review loads and you're all amazing and I take YEARS to upload. I, I don't know how many of you are still bearing with me but I hope you will, not for me, god knows I don't deserve it, but for this story. The reason I started this was because I thought English people deserve the right to look into this Argentinean amazing plot and I'll keep on going till the end even if it does takes me years.**_

_**

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**_

**In The Last Episode:**

_Joe was about to answer back when Sarah shouted. They both turned to look at her, terrified._

_"Oh, god! Oh, god!" Sarah shouted. "My-My..."_

_Lilly looked at her pointedly. "What's wrong?"_

_"My water just broke!"_

_-HDIFILWY-_

_"So," Tyler continued. "I was thinking that, when I come back...we could go on that date that I asked you on the first time we met."_

_Miley smiled. She didn't want to turn him down, he was a great guy and he was talking about the future, what was the point in rejecting him when she could reject him later on. "Well, we'll see but, who knows, it __would __be nice."_

_Tyler smiled one last time, looked at Miley for a second and then crushed his lips against hers._

_All the while, Nick was looking at them, feeling that he didn't know how much more he could stand._

_

* * *

_

**Chapter 14**

**LOVE**

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**

Greta, Lilly, Miley and Nick were surrounding the cot that contained a small sleeping baby. Lily had to intervene in the birth, for they had had no time to reach the hospital, and the doctor had arrived an hour ago, had made sure everything was alright and was going to stay the night to monitor both of them, since there was no point in going to a hospital now that they were both perfectly fine.

"It's a beautiful cot," Greta complimented as she looked at the pink baby girl. "It was amazing of you to bring it, Lilly. I know how much it means to you."

Lilly smiled. "Don't worry, Greta; when I worked at the orphanage three years ago, there was always too many babies and not enough cots...I always bought this one in. It might be special because it's the only gift I'll ever have from my dad but, it makes it even more special to know that it's always useful."

Greta patted Lilly's back softly as she turned around and headed to the kitchen.

"I still don't get it..." Miley spoke, causing the other two adults to turn towards her. "Not that it's bad or anything but, what was a stranger doing in our house...and, I mean, I've seen her clothes drying outside, she doesn't look like a teenage runaway."

Lilly bit her lip, not knowing how to tell Miley the truth; Nick was also listening attentively. "Fine...I'm going to explain once and once only, ok?"

The two nodded.

"And you can't make any comments, not in front of the kid anyway," Lilly insisted.

The two nodded again.

"So..." the blonde started. "Pablo? Well this is his kid...the woman, Sarah, is his wife and I, without knowing it, was the other woman. Got it?"

The two, stunned, nodded once again.

"Well, that's the last I wanna hear about this situation."

And having said that she left.

"Joe really worked for it this time," Nick commented without thinking.

Miley eyed him curiously. "What do you mean? What does Joe have to do with all this?"

Nick didn't know what to say. Miley had no idea what-so-ever that her brother was head over heels in love with Lilly...truth be told, no one knew that Joe was head-over-heels in love with Lilly except for him; with every day that passed, Lilly was more convinced that Joe was just into the thrill of the chase and Joe just thought that he had just gone mad all of a sudden.

"He," Nick tried to explain. "He was the one who did the 'research' I think...You know, he saw Pablo and his wife going home together yesterday and...Well, since he hasn't got Taylor to worry about for a week...he decided to, just investigate and help Lilly out..."

"More like but into her life...but, yeah, I guess it was for the best..." Miley accepted before the baby suddenly made a small whimpering noise. Miley leaned down quickly. She looked up at Nick with wide eyes and a smile.

"Do you think I could hold her?" she asked the young man.

Nick shrugged. "I don't see why not."

Miley smiled even wider and leaned down to hold the baby carefully. She was surprised to see that as little as the little girl was, she wasn't all that light, especially not her head, which was decorated with a few small orange hairs.

Nick leaned down to help her but Miley shook her head. "Don't worry, I've held babies before."

Miley took her into her arms, holding her head up carefully as she rocked and soothed her slowly. Nick couldn't help but smile at the sight. Miley had changed once she got home and she wasn't in her uniform anymore. She was wearing a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a green t-shirt that suited her perfectly but without making her look 'slutty', for lack of a better work. She looked mature, old and responsible, which were things that Nick really didn't want to be seeing in her right now. Watching her coo at the baby, singing a beautiful tune under her voice...it just made it seem like she was old enough, like what he was feeling wasn't wrong, not at all. Then she remembered how the Tyler guy kissed her and how she was confused and...How she made him even more confused.

Miley looked at Nick, moving her head, signalling for him to look at the baby.

Nick took his left hand and helped Miley hold him up as he stood behind her, both of them looking down.

"God, she's beautiful," Miley said, and that was when Nick noticed the tear falling down her face.

"Miley..." he whispered putting his arm around her. "What's wrong?"

Miley looked down at the sleeping baby and another tear formed in her eye. "It's just...I know it's pathetic...I-I have a great life, a life many people would kill for...but, sometimes I wish I could be back like her, or even Noah...it's a time when you act on instinct, you don't think and rationalize it all and everything seems so much easier. _Love _is just so much easier."

Miley turned her head back so that she could look at Nick, she was surprised to find that his eyes were also searching hers.

She didn't know what it was. Maybe it was the instinct talk or the fact that they were both looking at a brand new life, a life filled with options and decisions. She didn't know how they had reached this point but she couldn't make herself care as she tilted her head backward and he leaned forward, making their noses brush against each other. They stood like that for a few second, their lips coming closer but not quite getting there.

The baby made a gurgling sound, making Nick realize what he was about to do. He took a step back as quickly as he could.

"No, Miley, no," he said with a strict tone. As he continued stepping back.

Miley frowned and leaned down to put the baby carefully back into the cot. She then walked towards Nick.

"Why not?" she asked him truthfully. "Look, you're looking at me or...more like trying not to look at me, and I see it, Nick. It's so obvious. And before, when you told me that you felt nothing...I could literally _feel _your insides turning as you lied, because you both know you lied. I know it sound pathetic and melodramatic, but you're the one whose making it this way, why can't you just accept it, if not to me, to yourself at least."

Nick shook his head. "Please, Miley, don't look at this in that way. Don't look at us like a normal boy and girl in a boy and girl situation."

"But we are a normal boy and girl and this _is _a normal-"Miley tried.

"No, it's not!" Nick told her seriously. "Miley, I know you since you're like that!" He said pointing at the baby girl that was sleeping a metre away.

Miley grabbed his arm and pushed him a few steps away so that they wouldn't wake her up. She wanted him to understand, she just wanted him to stop thinking so rationally and to act on his feelings.

"It doesn't matter. You were the one who taught me that love doesn't know ages! Your mum and your dad have a fifteen year difference!" Miley insisted. "And your brother, Kevin, he's twenty-seven and Danny's only twenty-one, twenty when they got married!"

Nick sighed. "My parents...Well, they got married in other times, besides my mum was twenty when they got married and she was of age when my dad met her...and Kevin...well, Kevin's another story."

"It's always another story, Nick! Don't you see? I don't mean it in a bad way but everyone has their own way of seeing things of acting..."Miley tried her hardest.

"Your brother is my best friend! You're only sixteen, Miley! That isn't a different way of seeing things, those are huge barriers in between a thing that, as a matter of fact, doesn't exist!" Nick told her. As he listened to himself he began to understand that he couldn't even consider this, as much as she might be more mature, it was madness...she was only a child and he had basically brought her up. It was sick!

Miley shook her head in resignation. "Look, you can talk about the ages and the problems and the excuse but don't say that there's nothing there."

"Look, Miles," Nick tried, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I love you, ok? But not in the way you want me to. I can't love you in any way that is not a sibling love, it's just not possible for me to, and it's not an option."

"You know what, Nick...you're confused. We both know you're confused...and, why lie? So am I. We're both confused...but since you don't want to work it out together, I'll go work it out on my own and you can continue running away from it like a coward."

Miley looked at him for another second and then left, walking up the stairs quickly.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

The house had been filled with guests to see the baby for the remainder of the evening of the day before and the morning of this day. However, Miley hadn't really walked out of her bedroom. It's not that she was mad or about to go into another rebellious faze, it was that she needed time to think...really think...think about everything that had happened.

At the moment she was looking through an old photo album from a few years ago, about the time when Noah was born. It was funny how life changed, back then she had every single thing a girl could've wanted. She had brothers and sisters to play and fight with, she had too wonderful parents, an amazing house, and real friends all around her.

She turned a page to find the actual day when Noah was bought home. It was an amazing photo. They were all standing in the spot that was now occupied by Lilly's amazing tree. In the centre, her parents stood with Noah in their arms. To the far left was great, on her right were the twins, grinning at each other and on the other side were Nick and Joe. She was the highest one, since the two oldest boys, who at the time were nineteen, were giving her a double piggyback. Nick was holding her hand tightly in his own and they were smiling at each other instead of the camera.

At that moment she finally realized why Nick was fighting so much against all of this. It wasn't really because of the age difference or Joe or...okay, maybe it was a little, but not so much as the fact that he must be so confused...she thought about Demi's small brother and realized that, even though she loved the little kid, it seemed awfully wrong to even think about approaching anything other than platonic with him. However, she then realized that in ten years time that boy wouldn't be any little kid anymore...he'd be eighteen and he'd be a man, no matter what he was ten years before.

She turned her head to look at the other photo and she suddenly felt her eyes begin to water. The photo was of her and her parents, she was sitting in their lap and both of them were kissing each one of her cheeks; she then remembered her parents wanted to have more kids, even adopt when her mum couldn't have any more...she could have more siblings.

She turned the page and then realized that there was a huge jump...the next one was taken at the twins' birthday party but no one looked truly happy since the accident had occurred barely two months before. She turned back to the page of the photo that had made her eyes water and she realized that was the last photo she would ever have with her parents, that was her last chance. She then felt tears begin falling down her face, she didn't want to cry, she hadn't cried over them in ages but she couldn't help it, it was like she had just found out again.

There was a knock on the door and Miley picked up a tissue and quickly dried her tears before opening the white door and finding Nick standing there.

"Hey, I was just wondering if Joe-"But Nick stopped talking as he realized Miley's eyes were completely red and there were dry tears on her eyes. He stepped forwards and cleaned a tear off. "What's wrong?" he asked, forgetting all that was going on between them and just worrying about her like he had always done.

Miley gave him a half smile and handed him the photo album that she had in her right hand. Nick looked at the page she was holding and nodded his head in understanding.

"I took this photo," he spoke. "It was a week before..."

Miley suddenly felt a sob come from herself and she became angry that she couldn't restrain it. Nick left the photo album on a table in the corridor and pulled Maia into an embrace, soothing her a little as he caressed her back gently.

Miley cleaned her tears and pulled away from Nick, so she could look at him.

"Nic, I know it might not be the best...Well, I just...could I ask you a question?" she asked him.

The minute Nick saw the look in her eyes, he knew it wasn't a safe question. "Miley, we said that..."

"Yes, I know...it's not about us," she stated.

"There's no 'us', Miles," Nick continued, he didn't want to hurt her but he knew that if he wanted to cut this off, he needed to do it well.

"Fine, fine," she said, surprising Nick. "It's about you. And, I know it might seem like a strange and maybe impolite question...but I _need_ your answer, I actually _need _it, okay?"

Nick nodded.

"Are you in love with Selena?"

Nick didn't even take a second to hesitate. "No," he said loudly and clearly, as if trying to make some kind of point. "I'm not in love with Selena."

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"Sel, come on, I want to see the kid," Charlotte moaned as Selena dragged her up stairs. Zach had told them about the kid and they had both come to see it.

Selena shook her head. "I just need to find Nick before, ok?" she told the younger girl. They were both turning a corner of the Stewart household when Selena saw Nick comforting a crying Miley.

"Hey look! There-" Charlotte started, but Selena cut her off quickly. She grabbed the girl's arm and pushed her behind the corner so she could see what was going on.

She saw Miley pull away and then she asked Nick if she could ask him a question.

Nick's answer made her bite her lip, there was obviously something between them that Nick hadn't told her about.

"It's not about us," She heard Miley say. Anger began extending itself through Selena. But the worst thing came with the question.

"Are you in love with Selena?"

Can you believe she was so sure his answer would be yes that she had a smug look on her face? When Nick answered 'no' in such a sure, clear voice...she broke. She grabbed Charlotte and dragged her down the stairs as quickly as she could, running towards the front door.

"Hey!" Charlotte protested. "I want to see the baby!"

Selena eyed her with disbelief. "The baby? Charlotte, did you just hear what Nick said?"

"Yeah," the girl answered. "But, well...that's why we have to stay, right? You have to grab him and let him know how things are..."

Selena gulped visibly. "Yeah," she muttered in a tone that didn't seem too convincing. "Yeah, sure. When I see him, I-I'm going...yeah, I'm going to grab him and look him in the eye and..."

"Hey, girls!" Nick's voice resounded through the living room as he saw Selena and Charlotte standing in the doorway. "Did you come to see the baby?"

Selena and Charlotte looked at each other and then the brunette let a big fake smile appear on her face as she turned to look at her boyfriend. "Yeah sure, we just arrived, didn't we Char?"

Charlotte nodded hesitantly.

"Were you leaving?" Selena asked Nick as he walked her towards the playroom, were the baby was staying.

"Yeah, I was but, since you're here...I'll just see the baby with you, ok?" Nick suggested.

Selena truly smiled, maybe he'd only answered 'no' before because he didn't want to hurt Miley's feelings. "Great!"

"Oh god, he's so incredibly cute," Charlotte announced happily. Nick, who was walking towards the door with his arm around Selena, smiled at the girl.

"Completely adorable," Selena spoke looking up to Nick with a dreamy smile on her face. "Oh, love, imagine when we have our own?"

Nick gulped slightly. "I- Aren't you going a little quickly, Sel?"

"Yeah," Miley, who had heard the comment and was descending the stairs with a smirk decorating her face. "You might want to leave the diapers yourself, before putting them on any other baby..."

Selena glared at Miley, turning around to face her directly. "Excuse me but, last time I checked, you were the fifteen-year-old."

"Yeah," Miley laughed. "But, last time _I _checked, I wasn't the one thinking about having babies!"

Before Nick could open his mouth to calm the tension, Demi entered the house, shouting.

"How come you haven't called about the baby?" she shouted at Miley before everyone shushed her quickly.

"The _baby _is asleep," Miley told her best friend.

Demi nodded in understanding. "Hey, let's go up to your room, then..."

Miley nodded and Charlotte also went off to see Zach.

Miley was half-ways up the stairs when Selena spoke to Nick again.

"So, you can me should probably go out, right? Grab something to eat?" the brunette asked the young man.

"Ummm..." Nick mumbled as he noticed Miley's stare. "I-I think I should stay here, you know...Joe's really-"

"Old!" Selena exclaimed. "Joe's very _old _to have you behind him all day long."

"I'm sorry, Sel...there's too much mess here and I know for a fact that the shops opening in an hour so, you should head there..."

Selena pouted as a grin appeared on Miley's face.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

Selena was leaving when Miley walked up to her. Against her very own personality, she knew the comment before was uncalled for and she realized that if she truly wanted to be treated like an adult, she had to act like one.

"Sel! Selena!" she shouted before the girl could leave.

The brunette turned around with an air of indifference. "Yeah?"

Miley stopped in front of her. "I'm sorry about before, it was a pathetic try to...well, just...it was childish, I'm sorry."

"I don't care about your comments, Miley," she admitted. "However, I can't the same about you stalking my boyfriend."

My gaped at her. "What?"

"Don't play dumb, Miles...I don't know why and I'm not worried about him because we all know he only sees you like a sister but...really...stop it with the games; I heard him tell you the same thing the other day, so listen, ok? 'Because I'm in love with him and I don't want you ruining it for me."Selena's speech was received with highly raised eyebrow.

"Fine, I'm not going to bother him more but, don't get your hopes up, hun, he's gonna dump you sooner or later...I'm sorry to tell you, and I'm doing it with the best intention and respect, but you're not the one," Miley told her.

"Shut up, Miley, you're just a bloody kid, you don't know a thing..." Selena answered rudely, making Miley's patience come to an end.

"Says the girl who's jealous of the bloody kid," Miley retorted easily, causing Selena to gap at her.

"Who's jealous of whom?" Nick's jolly voice came in, from Joe's office.

Miley turned around and smiled. "Your girlfriend, of me," she told the young man before going up the stairs and up to her room.

Nick looked questioningly at Selena, who simple shrugged.

"Let's go, I talked to Joe and he thinks I should get out for a while," the man told his girlfriend.

Selena smiled.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"God, Miley's so naive," Selena commented as her and Nick walked down the kissing pathway. "I mean, thinking I'm jealous of her? Come on..."

Seeing that Nick was paying much attention, she grabbed his arm as they continued walking. "You know what, love? I just kind of...don't like her lately. Like, when she comes for practices, how she acts...especially when I come looking for you at the Stewart's. I mean, couldn't you spend less time there, I mean, darling, you're always there."

"Sel, it's my job...I work for Joe and Joe mostly works at home. Besides, they're like my family; it's also a home to me," Nick explain. "Anyway, with all this baby stuff right now...they really need me."

Selena smiled. "Oh, yeah, the baby...she's so cute...I was us to have a girl and a boy, with your curly hair and my eyes and..."

"Selena," Nick spoke her name seriously. "I said before...don't you think that you're going a little fast?"

"But...Nick...don't _you _fantasies about those kinds of things too?" Selena asked him, a little scared by the answer she might get.

"No," Nick said firmly. "Not at all."

Selena gulped. "It-It's probably because you're a man and...well, of course, the age difference."

Nick run a hand through his curls. "Sel, I...look, before anything, I want to say I'm sorry if you've become enthusiastic, too enthusiastic...I'm...I'm not in love with you, Selena."

Selena suddenly became a little angry. "What-what are you saying, Nick?"

"I'm saying that I have a great time, that I enjoy spending time with you," Nick started. "But, this has been going on for some time now and I like you, sure I do...but I just don't see myself feeling anymore and you obviously do so...maybe we should stop this...before you get hurt more."

"Fine, Fine..." Selena stopped him from saying anything else."Just...tell me, is...is this for Miley?"

Nick's eyes went wide and he started shaking his head hesitantly, but more than a 'no' he seemed to be saying that he wasn't sure. When he saw Selena was waiting for a verbal answer he muttered the words.

"N-no, no..." Nick finally said. "It has nothing...nothing to do with Miley."

Selena shook her head, obviously seeing past his lie. "Yeah, right."

Having said that, she left.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"Okay," Nick started. "We've walked for half-an-hour, we've bought that present for your friend and we've wasted enough time, can we go home, now?"

Miley laughed. "You could just go and leave me here, you know? It's not like I'm going to tell Joe."

"Not happening." Nick shook his head. "I'm serious, Miles, Joe game me this...job, mission, whatever you want to call it, and I'm going to do it properly."

"Fine, guarding-angel-slash-prison-guard. But I really don't want to go home," Miley confessed. She bit her lip, hoping Nick wouldn't make her go back home, she felt like she was in a prison there...especially since they were tuning the piano and she couldn't play it. "I mean, if you have to work..."

Nick almost hope she would do something really childish for once but since the incident with the baby she was acting like an adult and that made it all the worst for Nick, if she was moaning and sulking and not understanding then it would be easy, then she would be the kid he had seen grown up, not this woman who was making him go nutters.

"No, I...I don't have to work. But what do you suggest we do? Stay here?" Nick asked. That was when he heard a noise behind him and found Selena staring at him from the shed, looking beaten and disappointed, as well as angry and, he had to admit, jealous.

Nick turned back to Miley to see that she too was looking at his recent ex-girlfriend. He realized he could almost see sympathy in Miley's face and a smile that seemed to be asking for forgiveness.

"You know?" he asked her.

Miley blinked and looked back at Nick.

"Yeah, Charlotte told Zack, Zack called Cody and Cody told me when I called him," Miley explained. "Things get by pretty quickly in a large family."

Nick nodded, looking at Selena from the corner of her eye.

"Do you want to...?" Miley started, pointing discreetly in Selena's direction. "'Cause as much as I would hate it, I could wait around the corner."

Nick was really wishing she would go back to being eight years old now...one thing was to be attracted to Miley because she was beautiful and talented...another thing was begin to fall in love with her personality.

Nick shook his head. "Thanks," he told her truthfully. "But I think it's better if we just walk for a while. We could stop at that kiosk in the street parallel to your house."

"You mean where you used to take me to eat chocolate after school?" Miley asked with a genuine smile on her face.

Nick begged that seeing her eat chocolate would stop this, he begged it would bring him back to who he was a few weeks back.

"Yeah, right there."

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"You want some?" Miley offered, handing a piece of the chocolate bar to Nick. He nodded and took it, appreciating the lovely taste of the sugary milk chocolate that he hadn't tasted in years. "So," Miley continued. "Tell me."

Nick bit his lip, hesitant to talk. "You want to know?"

"Yeah," Miley confessed. "I mean I'm curious. I know you told me you weren't in love with her but, well, that doesn't necessarily mean you should break it off, you both looked like you enjoyed being together. I don't like saying it, but you _were _a good couple...not great, but great is hard to find."

Nick nodded at the reasoning but his mind was elsewhere; bringing Miley here hadn't been a good idea, not at all...seeing her in the same place, doing the same thing as when she was small had only reminded him of how much they had both changed, how different they both were, specially her.

"There's not much to tell, really..." Nick started explaining. "Her feeling _did _go deep, whereas mine didn't and it wasn't right."

Miley nodded in understanding but she still looked confused. "But, didn't you like her enough to try?"

Nick pressed his thin lips together. "I liked her a lot. Of course, I did...Selena can be a bit of a handful sometimes but, nevertheless, she's great and I really did like her. But when you love someone, it strikes you...your body knows it...sometimes it takes you time to digest it but you know it once you look into their eyes, in a moment you see who they are and it's like...bamb!...it's there. What I had with Sel...It was good but it wasn't love."

Miley breathed in, searching for Nick's eyes, which were staring at the ground. "What _is _love, then?"

Nick lifted his head, finding himself looking straight into Miley's piercing blue eyes. "Love is...when your insides turn and you feel your heart...sometimes it beats faster, others slower but the big thing is that you feel it, even more that when you run, you can actually feel it pumping in your chest. And it's when you just can't stop thinking about that person, when everything you do brings you back to them. It's...It is when you look into their eyes and you really see them for who they truly are and it feels like..."

He was silent for a moment and Miley leaned in carefully, very slowly, giving him time to back away if he wanted to.

She looked up and placed her lips softly on his, brushing them against each other slowly, making feelings erupt in both their body's. It was gentle and it was over as soon as it started but it left both their hearts beating in a strange pattern that didn't make any sense.

She pulled back and looked into his eyes again. "Does it feel like _this_?"

* * *

**_A/N: I know, so much expectation for such a small thing but they did it, people, they kissed! I WILL try to update sooner, I swear. But, meanwhile, I hope you did enjoy this. I sure did enjoy writing it. I remind you that reviews are welcome. Whether they are bad or good, I value everything!_**


	18. C15: Consequences

A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for all the response from the last chapter, you are all amazing. Anyways, this is what you were waiting for. Sadly, I don't think it's what you would like but I hope you will keep tuned until the end. :D

* * *

**In the last episode:**

_Nick lifted his head, finding himself looking straight into Miley's piercing blue eyes. "Love is...when your insides turn and you feel your heart...sometimes it beats faster, others slower but the big thing is that you feel it, even more that when you run, you can actually feel it pumping in your chest. And it's when you just can't stop thinking about that person, when everything you do brings you back to them. It's...It is when you look into their eyes and you really see them for who they truly are and it feels like..."_

_He was silent for a moment and Miley leaned in carefully, very slowly, giving him time to back away if he wanted to._

_She looked up and placed her lips softly on his, brushing them against each other slowly, making feeling erupt in both their body's. It was gentle and it was over as soon as it started but it left both their hearts beating in a strange pattern that didn't make any sense._

_She pulled back and looked into his eyes again. "Does it feel like__this__?"

* * *

_

**CHAPTER 15**

**CONSEQUENCES

* * *

**

Nick was speechless. He knew it sounded extremely cliché but it was the only word he could find to describe his feelings. Miley was looking at him with a mixture of wonder, curiousness and exasperation; however, he couldn't bring himself to day a word. How could he? _This was Miley! _It was completely crazy to even think about kissing her, let alone do it and feel like he was feeling. His lips were still tingling from the light brush against hers, this was, by far, the most innocent kiss he'd ever experience, and yet it was the one that had shook him up the most. He was trembling and he wanted so badly to just lean in again and kiss her.

"You know, it would be nice if you said something," Miley's voice suddenly brought reality crashing down on him. She was biting her lip, looking up at him, her left eye half hidden behind a few strands of hair.

He had to stop himself from putting the hair behind her ear and caressing her cheek.

"Nick?" came Miley's voice again.

The 24-year-old put his head in his hands; this couldn't be happening...he was falling in love with Miley...with _Miley!_

"Miles," Nick tried, fighting against himself. "I don't want to have anything with you, ok?"

He didn't mean to sound so harsh but he knew that the lie would not be believable if it was delivered any other way.

The girl shook her head, rolling her eyes. "I already know _that_, Nicholas. You've made it pretty clear, in case you haven't noticed. I-I just want you to tell me if you're _feeling _anything...I know I'm being annoying and childish but, I need to know if you're feeling anything, Nick, ok? So I can move on...I need to know."

It was all talk, she knew it and he knew it...she wasn't going to move on, she could try but, after than kiss it would be close to impossible. The kiss had opened a door filled with possibilities and they were both far too tempted to take a step through the door and not look back again.

"Look, Miley...I," Nick trying, gulping. "You're a girl I've known since forever and...You're angelic, you're beautiful and seeing you o grown up...it's woken some feelings in me but not the kind of feelings that you want from me."

Miley looked up at him, exasperation reflected on her pale face. She pushed her fringe behind her ear as her hard eyes searched for his.

"That's great, Nick...I mean it, it's all very good, a great explanation but...you're still not answering my question, and not really...why do you look like you enjoyed that kiss? If...If all I am to you is...angelic...then why?"

"Stop looking at me like you look at another man," Nick suddenly said, his voice deeper than ever. "I can't be man to you, Miley. You're going to force me to do something that I don't want to do. "

"What are you going to do?" Miley spoke up, sarcasm visible in her tone. "Ask Joe to find a boarding school for them to lock me up in? So you can get rid of me?"

Nick shook his head. "No, not at all. But, unless this stops, you're not going to see me again."

A look of fear planted itself on Miley's face as Nick stood up. "Come on, let's get you home," he told her.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"How can I be so unlucky!" Selena exclaimed as she and Charlotte made their way to the shed.

"Stop it, Sel," Charlotte begged. "I'm serious, just stop this whole feeling sorry for yourself thing, it's getting on my nerves."

Selena, however, seemed to not have heard her. "Am I ugly?" she asked rhetorically. "No, I'm not. Am I stupid? No, I'm not. Am I far? No, I'm not. Am I arrogant? No, I'm...Well, okay, maybe a little...but I'm not a bad person, I have friends, I...I sing and I dance and I'm lively. Yet, Nick leaves me for a kid that's half-his-age."

Charlotte shook her head at Selena. "First, she's not half his age...yes, she's young but you went out with a guy who was twenty two when you were fourteen, remember? And you only did it because you thought it was cool...Miley's turning sixteen in a month and she's been through hell and back, besides, she's a lot more mature than you were back then. Secondly, well...he's not left you for her, Sel...even if he is in love with her, and he isn't, but, even if he is..._that _can't happen for them. He's her brother's best friend...if what you're saying is true, it's better that Nick left you when he did...trust me, you don't want to be in the middle of that."

Selena shook her head. "I know...in the end, I know...Nick, well, he's amazing but he obviously doesn't want me, not for anything serious. Still, I can't shake of the feeling that she's betrayed me. I know Miley and me aren't close like you and I are but...we were friends, we share the band and I need to know. "

The blonde shrugged. "Well then, go on, confront her."

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"Wow..." Demi spoke as she talked to Miley. It hadn't taken the girl long to leave the house once Nick had brought her to it. However, unlike a few other times, she _had _told Joe that she was leaving and with a little persuasion she was able to get out. Now they were sitting at a bench in the kissing pathway and Demi was still digesting Miley's new. "So, you just, kissed him? Out of the blue?"

"What did you want me to do?" Miley asked. "He was there, looking at me, talking about love and, I don't know.."

"You do realize this is going to be hell, right? You have to stop playing around with the guys, Miles. I mean, first Jake, then Tyler...and now Nick? Give 'em a break, Miles...at this rate you're gonna break Madonna's record," Demi teased her best friend.

"This isn't a joke, Dem," Miley spoke seriously. "Nick...it's different, ok? And I feel bad because...he threatened me and..."

Demi went a little wide-eyed. "What do you mean he threatened you? Did he do something to you?" Demi asked, genuinely worried.

Miley shook her head. "No, nothing like that...he...he just said that if I don't end this he's...he's gonna take care of it himself, you know...he said I won't see him again, but I don't know if it was meant literally or just, that I would never see him in _that _way again or...I just don't know, Demi. It's like my heart's been running around all this time, playing, joking around with other hearts..." a small laugh came from Miley's lips. "And now, it came back home, you know?"

"Haven't you thought that that may be because Nick's always been home?" the girl asked, being serious. "Maybe all this you're feeling is because Nick _is _family."

"It doesn't feel the way," Miley told her. "It feels right, it feels like he's the only one who can manage to calm heart down and tell it to stop running."

Demi opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by Selena, who had just appeared behind Miley.

"Miley, can we talk for a second, it's important," the older girl spoke clearly.

Miley looked at her for a second and then nodded, she then looked at Demi.

"Go," she told the girl. "I'll go see if there's anything I can do with Jake...given the fact that you're not interested anymore."

Miley stood up, chuckling.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"What is it?" Miley asked Selena, as they both walked around the pathway.

Selena stopped and looked at her. "Miles, I-I...look, this is...I'm just going to get to it, ok?"

Miley nodded.

"I need to know what's going on with Nick."

Miley almost laughed as the truthful answer came into her head: _If only I knew. _But she thought Selena didn't really deserve that, she was probably confused enough as it was.

"Why the question?" Miley asked politely.

Selena looked at her. "I need to know. What's going on between you two...and, please, Miles, the truth..."

Miley breathed in and looked thoughtful for a second. "I- I have feelings for him...I don't know what they are but I have feeling for him...But you already knew that, Sel, didn't you?"

"I thought you were messing around, Miley! I thought you were deeply in love with Jake, weren't you?" Selena asked, a little angry.

Miley nodded solemnly. "Yeah, but with Nick it's different..."

"Sure it's different!" Selena snapped. "He's nearly a decade older than you, hewas _my _boyfriend, he..."

"Hey, stop it!" Miley told her, holding her hands down. "Did you come here looking for a fight? 'Cause I really don't want to fight, Selena.

The brunette calm down visibly. "No, I-I'm sorry, that was all I wanted to know."

"Well, now you know," Miley spoke. "And I suppose you know that it wasn't intentional, right? I didn't fall for him because he was _your _boyfriend, I swear."

"If you say so..." Selena said, obviously not believing the other girl's previous words.

"Yeah, I say so...besides, I know Nick since I was born, I..."

"Yeah, that's what I was getting at," Selena suddenly got angry again. "Why did you have to wait until he was my boyfriend to fall for him?"

"Sel! Come on, I didn't mean to interfere, I'm serious...I really didn't want you to get hurt by this mess," Miley confessed.

Selena looked down. "Yeah, okay, I'm sorry, I get it...this has nothing to do with me."

Miley sent her a look that obviously meant to say, 'exactly'.

"But," Selena continued. "Can I ask you one last question?"

Miley nodded hesitantly.

"What about Nick? Does he have feelings for you?" Selena asked, and for the first time, Miley couldn't find an answer.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

Miley entered the house quietly. It was over seven and she knew that most of the inhabitants were out. Joe was at the office, at some reunion. Zach was at the shed, bored out of his mind since Cody left for the language program, it was Greta's day off and Lilly had taken Noah to her ballet classes. However, Nick's care was in the driveway so he must have come back from the reunion early.

She walked towards the office and opened the door silently, watching Nick working on his grey laptop, concentrated on the task he was working on.

Miley took a step forward. "Hey," she spoke in her normal soft tone.

Nick squirmed the minute he realized Miley was in the room, like he had just been caught doing something he shouldn't have. Miley, however, knew it was probably just Nick's typical reaction to her recent behaviour.

"W-What are you doing here?" the man asked the teenager, standing up.

Miley rolled her eyes, walking towards him. "What am I doing in my house? Or in the office?"

Nick didn't answer as he took a step away from Miley.

"I'm not going to bite you, Nick," she told him, annoyed at the man's attitude.

"You shouldn't be here," he spoke. "Joe could come in any second."

Miley shook her head at him, even _she _realized that that would be no big deal, Joe was used to seeing them together - that sentence only told her that Nick had far too any different and horrible scenarios going on in his head.

"God forsake Joe find you and me speaking together!" Miley exclaimed sarcastically as she took another step towards Nick, who answered her movement by walking to the other side of the room.

Miley rolled her eyes again. "Calm down, Nick," she said. "I only want to tell you something that I think you should know."

This didn't calm Nick down, not at all. "What is it?" he asked as she walked towards him again. He didn't move away this time, he didn't think it was doing any good anyway.

"I talked to Selena," she told him.

He raised his eyebrows as he started thinking about what could possibly have been said in that conversation.

"It seems I'm not the only one who thinks you're feeling something for me," she spoke casually.

Nick through his hands up in the air, shaking his head as he paced around the room. "How the hell did that happen? She...How did this get to everyone? It's spreading like fire! What if Joe hears? What do I do then?"

Miley shrugged as she watched Nick continue pacing, she didn't think there was anything she could say that would make this any better for Nick.

Suddenly, the young man in question stopped pacing and looked at Miley with a blazing look.

"What did you tell her?" he asked.

Miley tried to not get angry at his accusing tone. "I lied, I told her I was sure that you only love me like a sister and that you would rather not here about my feeling again. However, I don't know how long I'm going to keep the lie up because..."

"What lie?" Nick asked harshly. "There's no lie there, Miley," Nick continued telling her as he walked back to the desk. "There's nothing going on between us, I have no feeling for you, none whatsoever."

He continued rambling as he concentrated on the laptop in front of him.

Miley walked towards the desk and pushed the laptop closed, making him look at her.

"Nick," she pleaded, if he was going to lie, he might as well do it to her face and not rambling like a madman, trying not to meet her eyes.

He looked at her, blue meeting brown and sparks erupting in both their insides. "Miles, please..."

He continued looking at her, and Miley knew that she would have to accept whatever came from him at this moment. This was the real Nick. "I can't feel what you want me to feel, it's just not possible, I'm sorry."

It didn't escape Miley's notice that he had used the word 'can't' but she couldn't put him or herself through more of this, not right now. He was confused and she knew this was affecting him so she let it go, he didn't want to make this harder for him.

"I-I'm sorry," she told him before turning around and leaving, just as quickly as she had entered.

Nick looked at the spot where she had just left and took his head in his hands, why did this have to happen now? Why to him? Why to her? He wanted nothing more than to stand up and chase after her, grab her and kiss her, taste her lips again; but he knew that was impossible, it was something he could never do.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"I talk to her," Selena told Charlotte. "She told me that she had fallen for him but that he didn't have any feeling for her."

"You believed her?" Charlotte asked curiously as she looked at her friend.

"No," Selena spoke clearly and in an obvious tone. "She's covering for him, keeping him out of trouble."

"Why would you say that? What's in it for Miles?" Charlotte asked. She still couldn't understand how a man like Nick, so sensible and responsible, would fall for a girl like Miley; Yes, of course, Miley was beautiful and even if she didn't have a prefect personality, she was fun and talented and very hard to hate; however, it didn't seem likely to her that Nick would risk so much for Miley, it didn't seem natural.

"I don't know, Char...I just...we were talking, normally...and then I mentioned what Nick felt for her and she was quiet...as if she was confused and then she blew me of, she told me he didn't have feelings for her and she left, without another word," the brunette explained.

"Haven't you thought that might be because she's hurt, because he really doesn't want her?" Charlotte asked her friend.

"No, Char, I really don't think it's that."

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

The next morning no one was to be seen in the Stewart household. Noah, Zach and Greta had gone grocery shopping, Miley was taking some piano classes at school and Nick was at the office, sorting out a demand.

However, Lilly hadn't expected that this would mean a private breakfast for her and Joe. The two of them had been trying to keep clear from each other since Taylor left to spend a few weeks at her mother's. They both knew that, without her in their way, things would most probably get out of hand and they couldn't allow that to happen; especially not Joe.

Yet, they were both in the kitchen, having a fair share of pancakes.

"How are you?" Joe asked.

Lilly looked up, knowing all too well what he was exactly asking. "I'm okay," she said a little more harshly that she had wanted to.

Joe sighed. He hated this, he hated seeing her so vulnerable, so small, he hated not being able to take her in his arms and kiss her, tell her that everything would be okay. However, a phone call had stopped that last night when Taylor had told him that she would be back in three days and she'd bring news.

"I'm sorry, you know," Joe told her, truthfully.

Lilly bit her lip. "The only one who should be sorry is me, I should've listened to you and my fairies...it's not like I thought Pablo was the one but you need to understand that I had to take my mind of you."

He thought he should say sorry again but he knew it was no use. "Taylor thinks she's pregnant."

There was a pause and Joe didn't know what had possessed him to do such a thing. Lilly was looking at him with her mouth hanging open and a look of confusion on her face.

"I _am _sorry," Joe then said as a few tears fell down his face, tears that he couldn't help.

Lilly stood up and put her arms around him, caressing his cheek softly, trying to comfort him.

"I'm so sorry," he continued muttering into her light blonde hair.

Lily pulled back and kissed the top of his head. "Are you sure?"

Joe shook his head. "There's so many things that are just not right, the timing...the way it was...I...I don't want to doubt Taylor, she might be a lot of things but she wouldn't play with me like that, she's not perverse."

Lilly begged to differ but she didn't think it was the best moment for that.

"Humans - we do a lot of crazy things, Joe, we make a lot of stupid mistakes...but this kid, if there is a kid, is yours and you need to be sure, do you understand?"

Joe nodded and let go of her, wiping his tears away harshly. "I love you," he couldn't help but say.

She laughed through her sad smile as she continued to caress his cheek. "I know...Don't worry, I know."

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"It's...hell!" Joe shouted as his fence sword clashed against Nick's. The two of them moved in a synchronised motion. "I can't do anything! I can't live my life how I want to live it!"

Nick shook his head, Joe had been moaning about Taylor and Lilly for over half-an-hour, he had it so easy, he could just leave Taylor and get his happy ending. The only thing that was standing in the way was that stupid curly-head-blonde that he didn't even love, yet, here he was, acting like he was stuck.

"Just leave Taylor and get you happy ending with Lilly, German...it's what you want and what you deserve," Nick told him. "Just do it!"

The swords clashed against each other with more intensity. Joe laughed at his best friend.

"It's easy for you to say, Mr. Free," Joe spoke. "You have no compromises, nothing in your way."

Nick shook his head. "If only you knew."

Joe stopped moving and brought his sword to his side. "Is the something I don't know?" he asked.

Nick closed his eyes. This wasn't supposed to be this way, this shouldn't affect him like this, Miley was a kid, a kid used to getting what she wanted and he couldn't let this rule his life. But she wouldn't leave her brain, the way her eyes had looked when he told her it couldn't be, the taste of her lips...how was it even possible that he remembered it? They had barely brushed against his, it has been less that a second.

"Nico?" Joe asked. "What's wrong?"

Nick sighed. "I just...I don't know if keeping things is so good anymore, German. What's the point? Being unhappy..."

Nick suddenly realized that he was thinking about giving in, about taking the risk and just being with Miley, trying to be with Miley...He knew it was crazy but he didn't know if he could resist her anymore, how could he look at her and not want to hold her, kiss her...he couldn't, it wasn't possible.

"It's not so simply, Nick," Joe told him. "We can't just do whatever we feel like, there are consequences to our actions. We've got people to worry about, we can't just..."

However, Joe stopped talking when he realized Nick was no longer listening to him. The eldest Stewart walked towards his best friend and took both heir masks off.

"Nick, what's going on?" Joe asked, genuinely concerned.

Nick looked up at Joe so he could meet his eyes, he knew that his own face was filled with worry and confusion because he knew that the idea that was forming in his mind would have to be executed and that scared him.

"Joe," Nick spoke quietly. "I think I'm going to move back to Germany.


	19. C16: Leaving

_**In the last episode:**_

_Nick suddenly realized that he was thinking about giving in, about taking the risk and just being with Miley, trying to be with Miley...He knew it was crazy but he didn't know if he could resist her anymore, how could he look at her and not want to hold her, kiss her...he couldn't, it wasn't possible._

_"It's not so simply, Nick," Joe told him. "We can't just do whatever we feel like; there are consequences to our actions. We've got people to worry about, we can't just..."_

_However, Joe stopped talking when he realized Nick was no longer listening to him. The eldest Stewart walked towards his best friend and took both heir masks off._

_"Nick, what's going on?" Joe asked, genuinely concerned._

_Nick looked up at Joe so he could meet his eyes, he knew that his own face was filled with worry and confusion because he knew that the idea that was forming in his mind would have to be executed and that scared him._

_"Joe," Nick spoke quietly. "I think I'm going to move back to Germany._

**CHAPTER 16**

**LEAVING**

"I just don't understand, Nico, you're not making any sense!" Joe exclaimed as he sat down beside Nick in his office. "You really can't expect me believe you want to move because you broke up with a girl you didn't even really like."

Nick looked at the ground. "I...I just need to get out of New York, I don't expect you to understand but I'm asking you to so, please, just let me clear my mind."

"Nick!" Joe exclaimed, looking at the man. "You can't move back to Germany, it's stupid...We're here, your family is here, Nick."

Nick sighed. "My parents are there and Kevin's thinking about moving back, too...maybe only a year or two, Joe, I could work in the German office...it'll be going back to my origins, finding myself."

"And leaving me!" Joe shouted. "I'll lose the head of the law section, not to mention I need my best friend right now, Nico. I need you here, in New York."

"What about what I need?" Nick shouted back, standing up. "All I've done in my life is followed you around like a puppy, always in your shadow...I'm always here, with no social life, this family has me trapped and I need to get out, now!"

Joe shook his head, hurt visible in his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers. "If you feel we have you trapped then, please Nick, do me the honour of leaving...as soon as you can, I wouldn't want you to feel like you have no right to leave."

Nick closed his eyes, noticing he'd hurt his best friend. "Joe, I didn't mean..."

Joe breath in, calming down. "I know, I'm sorry...if you feel like you have to leave then I must support you but I don't want to think you're taking an irrational decision. Hell, I'd probably go with you if I could...When are you planning to...?"

The question was left unfinished and Miley's face came into Nick's head again, the repeat of the kiss occupied all of his senses.

The curly-haired-man ran a hand through his hair. "Soon, Joe, maybe it's irrational but, even if you don't understand, me...leaving...it's the best thing for everyone in this house."

Joe raised his eyebrows but before he could ask, Nick had walked out the door. He went to follow him out but suddenly his phone started ringing.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"Nick!" Miley's voice echoed through the living room. Lilly, Greta and Noah, who were seated on the sofa's looked at the source of the voice, but Miley and Nick didn't seem to notice them.

Nick turned around to look at her. "What is it?" he asked, trying not to be harsh but barely succeeding.

Miley was a little taken back at the tone but continued. "I heard my brother shouting, is everything ok? He hasn't _heard _anything has he?"

Nick raised his eyebrows for a second and once he realized what she was saying, he shook his head. "No, don't worry...it was a small argument about...well, just things I have to do?"

Miley eyed him carefully. "Like?"

Nick sighed and placed an arm on her shoulder. "I'm just doing the best for everyone, keep that in mind, will you?"

And, once again, Miley prepared to answer but, before she could, Nick walked out of the door, leaving her stunned.

Lilly, who had seen the interaction looked at her strangely. "What's up with him?" she asked.

Miley shrugged, shaking her head. "I have no idea."

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"I want to go out like Zach and Miley! I want to go to the pathway with Zach!" the youngest Stuart told Lilly as the nanny tried to get her to calm down.

"You will," Lilly promised her. "When you're big and strong like them you can also go out with your friends, but until then you have to stay home and play...but, do you want me to tell you a secret?"

Noah smiled and leaned into Lilly so the blonde could whisper in her ear.

"Playing is a lot more fun," Lilly told her kindly.

Noah, content with Lilly's answer, grabbed two of her toys and started talking in different tones. Meanwhile, Joe walked out of his office looking worried.

Lilly didn't miss this and, seeing that Noah was pleasantly occupied, she stood up and walked toward Joe.

"You okay, Mr. Freezer?" she asked. The last conversation they had had was still fresh in her mind and she had even thought about leaving, about letting them all be...how could she continue living in this house when Taylor came back? How could she look at the child of the man Lilly loved growing inside of another woman? It was simple, she couldn't. However, she made herself be patient and wait until Taylor came back in a week and everything came out in the open...she wouldn't take this decision lightly, when she did decide if she had to leave or stay, she would take all the real facts into consideration

Joe looked up at her and gave her a sad smile. "No," he answered truthfully. He frowned and sat down on the loveseat a few metres away from the piano. Lilly also frowned as she sat down beside him with questioning eyes. "I had a small fight with Nick, he...he's gone crazy...I well, I'm sure he'll explain later...but I just..."

Lilly looked at him silently as he stopped talking. She saw the phone in his hand and the way he was gripping it tightly, almost wanting to squash it as tightly as he could, make it into just dust. She had a vague idea of what was really wrong.

"But that's not what's bothering you, is it? You're angry about Nick but there's something else..."

Joe looked up at her with puppy eyes, Lilly knew he wanted to cry, he wanted to be a kid again and not have to be strong, he wanted to forget the world, grab her and kiss her like there was no tomorrow, but, there was a world...a very big and complicated world.

Lilly sighed. "She's confirmed it, right?" she whispered so only Joe could here. "She's pregnant?"

Joe shook his head. "Not exactly," he told Lilly. "She called me telling me she just jumped on a plane, she'll be home in two or three hours and she's got something to tell me."

Lilly looked down.

"I'm sorry," Joe told her. "I know I've already said this and I know you don't want to hear this...I know you want to get away from this but...thank you so much for not doing it, thank you so much for not leaving."

Lilly but her lip but didn't say anything, she knew she wouldn't be here tomorrow morning.

"What's up with Nick?" she asked, trying to distract him.

Joe looked up again, surprised at the questions. "The git...now he's saying that he's hurt because of the breakup with that girl and he wants to move back to Germany."

Miley, who had just walked out of the kitchen, dropped the glass in her hand.

"What?"

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

Nick sat behind his computer, thinking, trying to concentrate.

Suddenly moving to Germany seamed far too extreme. Yes, he had to get away from Miley, it didn't take a genius to figure that out but, could he leave his life because of her...maybe he should get a new job?

However, that thought left his head immediately, he didn't even want to imagine Joe's face if Nick told him that, he would think of it as betrayal.

_And what would he think if he found out your falling in love with his fifteen year old sister? _

The voice in his head was driving him crazy.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"You can't be serious!" Miley exclaimed as she kneeled down to pick up the strayed pieces of the broken glass. "He can't leave! And even less for Selena..."

Joe sighed. "Don't you think I know that? It's none of your business anyway, Miley. It's something Nick has suddenly got his mind set on, I just hope he will retaliate."

Miley breathed in and tried to be calm. She had let this go too far, she couldn't let Nick throw his life away over her.

"I've got to go somewhere."

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

Nick was busy, typing a declaration, when a hard knock on the wooden door of the office was hear.

"Who is it?" Nick asked, the only one in the office right now was Joe's secretary, and she didn't tend to bother him.

There was a small silence. "Nick, it's me...left me in."

Nick's eyes went a little wide as he recognised Miley's voice behind the door. He stood up slowly and walked to the far end of the room, hoping that she hadn't seen him thought the glass wall.

"Nick, I know you're in there, will you just let me in? Joe told me about Germany...please, Nick."

Nick didn't speak, maybe she would leave..."

"Nicolas! I'm serious, I saw you when I came in, open the bloody door!"

Nick gave up and slowly walked towards the white door. He looked thought the glass wall that decorated the left corner of the room and he was able to spot Miley standing there, hands on hips, looking thoroughly annoyed,

He put a hand on the lock and twisted it around.

Miley opened the door the minute she heard the click and Nick stood there, with a sad smile, knowing this was going to be a long conversation

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"You're acting like you're Noah's age, Miley..." Nick reprimanded her.

Miley gulped, trying to dissolve her anger and stop the angry tears that were falling down her eyes.

"_I'm_ acting like Noah?" Miley asked him indignantly. "If there's anyone here who's acting like Noah, it is you! What do you think you're doing, Nick? Running away..."

Nick oppened his mouth to say something but Miley stopped him.

"No, let me speak. I know this isn't exactly easy on anyone but don't run away and don't you dare blame me for acting like a kid because the one acting like a kid is most definitely you," Miley told him seriously as her blue eyes looked sharply into his brown ones.

Nick rolled his eyes with exasperation. "Fine," he told her, taking a place on one of the sofa's in the office. He pointed at the sofa opposite his but Miley's ignored him and took a seat right next to him.

She looked at him hardly. "Why are you doing this? Is it because of this, because you really don't want to have to deal with me or...is it because of Joe?"

Nick sighed. "Does it make a difference? Really?"

Miley nodded. "In a way it does, in another way it doesn't...either way, you're leaving because of me and I can't live with that, ok? I don't want to live if I have to deal with that...you have a life here Nick and, if this is about me pushing you...well, I will stop...I won't take a step forward ever again...I'll let you take all the steps and if you don't take any, I'll take a step back and you really won't have to deal with me again. You keep on saying that this isn't real...that it's just a type of caring that has confused you, well, if it's true, and you really don't have deep feeling for me...I'll stop, it won't be easy, but I'll stop. I'm not going to be the spoilt brat you want me to be, I'm not going to make it easy for you to choose because, that's not what you need from me...I'm just, I'm giving you green light to do what you want and I'm going to be like a traffic light...I can tell you to stop, to go or to hurry but only if you come to me, I won't go looking for you."

Nick closed him eyes as the urge to scream filled him. She had done it again! She had started speaking and had sounded more mature than any other wise person he had met.

"I just don't want to hurt you," he told her truthfully, buy avoiding the rest of the truth. "What's happened between us...whatever it has been...it has hurt you and I don't want that, I care for you, I really don't want to see you getting hurt, and it's the last thing I want to see."

"And that's all?" Miley asked him. For once her tone wasn't edgy or suspicious, it sounded more like a mixture of worried and curious. "Because if it is, the last thing you need to do is throw your life away. I'm a big girl, Nick, even if you can't see it, I can deal with loving someone who doesn't love me back and I will get angry if I find out you're destroying your life because of nobility, because of me being hurt...I will be able to deal with you not wanting me, I mean that."

But that wasn't the reason, and Miley and Nick knew it perfectly. The reason was that, right now, Nick was looking at Miley and all he could think about was leaning down and kissing her, tell her he was beginning to fall in love with her, tell her that all reasoning was left behind when she looked at him.

"I can't do this to Joe, or to myself or to you...this will be torture unless I leave for a while...maybe a year or two, until we're both on stable ground and we're happy, with other people...then we can go back to the relationship we've always had."

Miley chuckled. "How is it that I'm meant to be the naïve one and yet it's only me who gets what's really going to happen? Yeah, Nick, you can leave and be a good jolly German guy, meet this gorgeous Blondie and come back in two years time with your pregnant wife and seem really happy... and then I'll be back with Jake or maybe Tyler or maybe just someone else completely, playing my stupid flirt games and messing people around without ever being serious, and then we'll see each other and it'll come crashing down on us that we left at the start and that there's so many unresolved issues that we just can't get past them...and, as dramatic as it sounds, when we're old and grumpy, we'll always think back to how we could've solved this if you hadn't run away."

"And what if I don't leave?" Nick asked her, looking at Miley intently. "What if we continue our lives like nothing ever happened and then it will be exactly the same thing...just that we'll have to see each other every day, suffer everyday, feel our unsresolved issue everyday...there's no other option Miley, I need to leave."

"Please, Nick," Miley begged, knowing that he was right but wishing he wasn't.

Nick looked at her for a second and then did something he hadn't ever imagined himself doing. He leaned down and captured her lips in his for a few second, letting his mind fly away, be free, for only a moment. He nibbled on her bottom lip and tasted her, trying to remember if he had ever felt like this before.

"I'm falling in love with you," he told her, as truthfully as he could manage. "I'm done with faking I'm not, I'm done with lying to myself and to you but I can't do this, Miley, and if you're as mature as you and I both know you can be...you will understand this perfectly. You're not even sixteen yet and we can't be together, not by law or simply by morals...I have no idea why this had to happen now but I can't do this to Joe or to us...I don't want to lose you and I know that if it ends badly, I will, I'll lose you and there'll be nothing to do about it...it's just not right."

Miley felt tears begin to fall from her eyes. "I understand, I do, but do you have to leave? Do you really have to?"

Nick shook his head. "No," he answered. "I could stay here and watch you and continue doing things like every day for the past five years...and, don't get me wrong, I'd be happy, very happy, to be working with your brother, here in America but, I think maybe Germany could be better. Either way, I think I need to get on that plane and see if it feels right, if not...I'll be back before you can miss me.

Miley looked at him. "Promise?"

Nick nodded as he wrapped his left arm around her. "Promise."

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

It had only been about two hours since his conversation with Miley but he knew what needed to be done and he was going to do it, now...

However, when nick came face to face with Joe and showed him the plane ticket in his hand, Joe definitely did not think it was the right thing to do.

"Have you gone completely crazy?" Joe shouted at him in the middle of the living room. "Tomorrow? Are you aware that you have a job here, that you need to be sent to Germany so you can have a job there...you don't just say that you're going and everything's all right."

Nick nodded. "Calm down, I'll be back in time for the 'Doran' hearing at the end of the month...I'm only going to be there a week or two...just clearing my mind and, if it seems okay, well I'll find an apartment and start fixing the papers...I've already informed the office that I'll be working from there instead of here."

"Nick, please...I need you here right now...Taylor will be appearing any minute and she's possibly about to ruin my life..." Joe spoke desperately.

Nick laughed, taking it the wrong way. "Great! For once you see clearly, now the only thing you have to do is tell her to leave, grab that beautiful and crazy Lilly of yours and ride off to the sunset on a beautiful white horse."

Joe looked down. "It's not that simple."

Nick raised his eyebrows. "I don't see why..."

But his sentence was left short as the door opened and revealed a curly haired blonde, whose face looked far too round, whose t-shirt was far too loose and who was carrying a blurry black and white picture in her hand.

Nick's jaw fell slightly. "Maybe it isn't that simple, after all."


	20. C17: Never Black or White

**A/N: Hey Guys, so, New Chapter...Yes, I'm not dead! Hooray! :D No, seriously, Thanks a million for being so so so patient and I hope you were looking forward to this. I really WILL try to upload quite a bit this summer. :)**

* * *

**Previously In How Did I Fall In Love With You: **

_Joe looked down. "It's not that simple."_

_Nick raised his eyebrows. "I don't see why..."_

_But his sentence was left short as the door opened and revealed a curly haired blonde, whose face looked far too round, whose t-shirt was far too loose and who was carrying a blurry black and white picture in her hand._

_Nick's jaw fell slightly. "Maybe it isn't that simple, after all."_

* * *

**CHAPTER 17**

**NEVER BLACK OR WHITE**

* * *

Nick moved from one side of the living room to the other, he could faintly hear Joe's voice coming from the floor above, talking to Taylor. He looked at his watch once again, the feeling that Miley would come back home was intensifying and he really didn't want to see her right now, the ticket was in his left pocket and he really needed to get on that plane, he needed to know if leaving was what he needed.

A small sob interrupted his thought and he took a few steps towards the playroom, where Lilly was silently crying beside the window, looking at her tree. She was dress in a bright yellow summer dress and her hair was tied back with a few loose curls falling down her back; she wrapped her arms around her naked legs as she leaned her head on her knees.

Nick entered the room with care, making sure not to disturb her; he took a few steps towards Lilly and sat on the floor, next to her.

Lilly realized he was there and looked at him from the corner of her eye.

"She told you?" Nick asked, feeling curious as to how she had found out.

Lilly shook her head. "He...He told me, a few weeks ago...I saw her when she came in, and, it just..."

She broke down crying and the curly-haired man put his arms around her, ready to comfort her.

"It's not his fault," Nick assured her. "He...He hadn't slept with her for ages, he hasn't even looked at her since he fell for you."

"But he still did," Lilly spoke, looking into Nick's eyes with anger. "He still just...He's never loved her and...God, Nick, I was so sure it was a lie, I was so sure it was just Taylor's way of making sure he wouldn't kick her out."

Nick nodded, understanding. "Maybe it's not true?" he suggested. "Maybe Taylor's just playing him."

Lilly shook her head. She didn't believe that. "So, you're suggesting Taylor just got fat? Come on, Nick...she's a bitch, I'll be the first to say that, but she's that cruel and, more importantly, she can't do magic."

"Maybe the kids not Joe's, have you thought about that?" Nick spoke his thoughts out loud. The idea had just entered his mind but it was obviously possible.

Lilly looked at Nick. "I doubt it, or maybe...I don't know, Nick. Besides, are you going to tell him that? Because I'm fed up of interfering, I won't say another word to Mr. Freezer. In fact, I...I can't even bare to be here."

She then turned to look at Nick with worry.

"You have to be here for him, Nick," she told him sincerely. "I can't be here but he needs someone to lean on."

Nick gulped as he pulled out the ticket from his pocket; he waved it at Lilly.

Lilly's eyes widened as she took the ticket from Nick's hand, she looked at it with shock.

"Germany?" she asked. "Why the...Nick? What happened?"

Nick looked down at the ground. "The official story is that I need a break from New York because I broke up with Selena."

Miley raised an eyebrow at him.

"The truth...I can't say," he admitted. "But I _can _tell you that you've got an ability to see things before anyone else can," Nick told her, referring to the time that she had supposed he had feelings for Miley; he had been so sure it was a mental idea back them.

Lilly wanted to get to the end of this but she could feel that wasn't what Nick needed so she just shook her head.

"I didn't see _this_ coming, I definitely didn't see this coming," she said in a broken voice as the door opened.

Lilly and Nick looked up to find Joe standing there, an absent look on his face and a guilty frown on his mouth.

"Lilly..." he tried for a second before Lilly stood up and, without so much as a look at Joe, left through the door that left to the back yard.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

"It wasn't enough to be stuck in an unwanted relationship, or to be an orphan, or to be in charge of four younger and crazy siblings..._this _had to happen, didn't it? And even worst, I have this guilt, eating me up...guilt for Lilly, guilt for the kids, guilt because I'm having a bloody kid and I don't want it!

They were back in the office, it being a few hours after Taylor's arrival and Nick was waiting for Joe to finish speaking so that he could start packing things, he had an awful lot to do tonight; after all, he would be leaving tomorrow early in the morning, leaving no time for goodbyes.

Joe looked at his best friend for a second.

"Stay," he begged him. "I'm going to need you here."

Nick looked down and then ground and then back at Joe. "I'll be a phone-call away," he told him, shaking his head. "I'm so sorry, German. I know you need me, but I also know I need to leave, I will be back for the case, in a month max., I promise."

Nick stood up and grabbed the box he had filled with things.

"I don't understand. Nico, I really don't," Joe tried.

Nick gave him a small guilty smile. "If you were in my place, German; you _would _understand, you'd understand completely."

As he said this, Joe stood up and they both stood face to face for a second before hugging tightly.

"You're sure you'll be able to take that plane?" Joe asked hopefully.

Nick shrugged. "I'm sure I need to go on it to know..."

And, he did, Nick needed to go on that plane to know if he could leave, if he would be able to walk out on his surrogate family and, for the first time, truly be closer to his real family.

The moment was interrupted by Greta's insistent knocking on the door.

"Come in, Greta," Joe spoke up, making the older woman come in.

She smiled at Nick upon entering. "Did you ask Pedro to drive you home, Mr. Nicolas?" she asked him with a smile.

Nick nodded. "Yeah, I did..."

He walked towards Greta and gave her a small hug. Greta looked at him strangely.

"Anything wrong, Mr. Nicolas?" she asked, worried.

Nick gave her a small smile. "I'm just leaving for a while, Grets..."

Greta looked saddened. "Where to, Mr. Nicolas?"

Nick laughed a little and the way she addressed him. "I'm going to our origins, Greta," he told her. "I might go see mum and dad."

Greta smiled at this but, as Nick looked up, he realized someone else had heard him.

Miley looked at him, slightly angry. She only spoke one word.

"Now?"

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

Miley backed away a little and stood beside the piano, looking at the ground. Nick walked towards her as Joe and Greta stayed beside the door.

"I thought it'd take you a week at least," she told him sincerely and with a little anger. "There's no need to run away so fast," she whispered. "I told you that I would back away..."

Nick shook his head and took her hand, careful to hide their joint hands behind the piano, away from Joe's and Greta's prying eyes.

"I'm not leaving tonight, I'm leaving tomorrow...but it's gonna be early so. Miley, It's an experiment," he told her. "The sooner I do it, the sooner I'll know."

Miley gulped as she eyed Joe and Greta from the corner of her eye, she wondered for a second about what they might think that she was doing but she shook off the thought. "But," she started. "Either way, even if you don't take the plane...it's over, right?"

"Before it even started," Nick poetically told her as he took a step forwards and wrapped her in his arms. He held her tight for a second and kissed her temple.

"Come on Nick, Pedro's waiting," Joe spoke calmly.

Nick took a step back and gave Miley one last look before walking out of the door.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

The next day awoke surrounded by sadness. A spring rain storm had submerged the city in a horrible grey cloud and the moods of the Stewarts did nothing to improve it.

"I just can't quite believe he's left," Miley told Demi.

Demi shrugged. "Maybe it is for the best, it was too epic to be real...you really could've made an amazing story...but now he's gone and he'll be all German and all getting married with a Blondie and..."

Miley hit her before she could continue depressing her even more. A few tears had already left her eyes...

"Hey people!" Zach spoke as he entered the kitchen with a smile. He didn't like to show it but not having Cody around was taking a toll on him, luckily, he'd be coming back in less than a week.

Zach's smile suddenly disappeared as he looked at his sister.

"Have you been crying, Miles?" he asked her with worry.

Miley shook her head and cleared the tears quickly. "I'm okay," she told him quietly.

Demi then opened her mouth. "Nick left..." she started before receiving another hit from her best friend.

Zach raised his eyebrows and then smiled as he made a move to hug his older sister. "Oh, poor you...do you miss uncle Nick?"

At those words Miley pushed away angrily and before she stormed up to her room she shouted at her brother.

"He's _not _my uncle!"

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

Jake and Drum sat at a table from the kissing pathway while Jake frantically moved the pages of a book.

"You're gonna break the book if you continue at this rate," Drum warned him.

Jake shrugged his off. "I just don't get it, how am I meant to study all of this! I wasn't aware a college application exam could be so hard."

"Well, you haven't taken a test for over 4 years, it's only natural that you find them difficult now...I don't even get why you're doing this, you've always been happy with the idea of not going to college," Drum let him know.

Jake shrugged. "I saw Miley the other idea," he told his friend. "She's, she's in love with that guy, you know?"

"Who?" Drum asked. "Tyler?"

Jake shook his head, Tyler was easy enough to beat. "No, she's been messing around with her brother's best friend, the Nick guy."

Drum raised his eyebrows once again. "And who told you this?"

He seriously couldn't just believe this, it was completely ridiculous to think that Joseph Stewart would ever be okay with that.

Jake rolled his eyes. "Selena kind of did, she kind of let it out when the two of us went out drinking a week ago, we were both kind of depressed so we went to the new place that they've opened a few blocks away."

"And she knows, how?" Drum asked, still not buying it.

Jake shrugged. "I dunno, but the last time I saw her she was with him...God, I'm such an idiot, aren't I? I dumped her because I was too old and now this guy comes around and he's three years older than me! "

"I don't think you should trust what Sel-" Drum started but Jack ignored him.

"I'm gonna get her back!" Were Jake's final words.

_**-How?Did?I?Fall?In?Love?With?You?-**_

Nick looked at his watch one last time.

He had been sitting on this plane for over five hours, waiting to see if the storm would settle. He had gone through a lot of phases in that time. His first reaction was to get off the plane, an hour later he decided Germany was the best option, he even, at one time, considered just taking a different plane to somewhere completely different. However, now he found he was undecided.

"_Passengers, we inform you that we will be setting off in ten minutes, we are sorry for any problems the delay may have caused."_

Nick looked down at his mobile phone, ready to turn it off. He took a few seconds to look at the photo on the menu screen. He was in the centre, on one side Joe, on the other Miley and around them, the rest of the Stewart family.

Leaving was the best thing to do for them.

Wasn't it?

...


End file.
